Description

The Linux kernel 6.18-rc7 release represents a steady march toward the final 6.18 version expected to arrive next weekend and reflects a noticeably calmer development phase relative to rc6. Linus Torvalds confirmed that the release cycle remains on track, even after rc6 encountered a late-stage virtual memory regression that required immediate attention. The problem was a containable case of old code confusion exposed by a newer VM fix, which reinforced that the development process is working as it should rather than indicating deeper structural problems. Most of the changes in rc7 are continuing to be about maintaining and refining various subsystems, with driver updates dominating. Both GPU and networking drivers have seen considerable improvements in performance, compatibility, and overall hardware support. Architecture-specific fixes were applied on LoongArch, MIPS, and ARM64 platforms for targeted bug fixes and wider stability. Fundamental work in networking subsystems continues to improve protocol implementations and better connectivity, while tooling and documentation updates keep the development environment clean and efficient. One highlight of this release is a patch to SELinux that fixes a bug brought about by confusingly-named variables; it's a small patch but an important refinement to a critical part of the kernel's security apparatus. With far fewer changes than were merged in rc6, rc7 hints that the kernel is reaching its final polish phase. As usual, developers and testers are called on to make sure that any remaining problems are found and reported in this final week before the code freeze: the more bugs fixed before the code freeze, the more stable and dependable the 6.18 release will be when it goes out the door.