Linux Kernel Updates Image © DALL-ELinux Kernel Updates (Image © DALL-E)

Ultra-RISC-V support has been added to the default kernel configuration. Specifically, this covers the UR-DP1000 SoC and its eight C100 cores. This update follows a similar pattern to the Eswin SoC support enabled in earlier builds. It ensures that these hardware configurations work immediately without manual Kconfig adjustments.

There were some unexpected updates for older gaming hardware. Several driver fixes were released for the Sega Dreamcast, addressing the keyboard, mouse, and joystick. A specific null-pointer dereference bug in the Maplemouse driver—which had existed since 2017—has finally been fixed. While Linux has discontinued support for many legacy platforms, these patches help those who still use custom builds on old consoles with CD-Rs and original peripherals.

On the x86 side, a fix for the VGA fallback logic during the boot process was released. This issue primarily affected users with multi-GPU configurations combining AMD and NVIDIA hardware. In some cases, the system would identify a VGA-compatible device as the primary device simply because it was listed first in the enumeration order. The updated logic now prioritizes the device that supports the framebuffer. This prevents confusion in userspace by ensuring that only one primary graphics device is reported.

Other changes include Nick Desaulniers’ return to LLVM Linux development. There are also a number of minor fixes related to networking and file systems. Some of these patches were developed with the help of AI. As usual, driver development continues at a brisk pace, with a high volume of updates for GPU and network hardware.