Linux Kernel 6.14 RC1: A Smaller Release with Big Changes

Linus Torvalds released the first release candidate (RC1) for Linux kernel 6.14 on February 2, 2025. This version is slightly different from before, because it is smaller than the previous version. This is because Linux kernel maintenance workers have reduced their workload during the holidays.

Catalog

- A streamlined but still powerful version

• Key 6.14-rc1 key changes
• Tests and Questions
• Experience Linux Kernel 6.14 RC1
• Expected release date for the final version of Linux kernel 6.14

Simplified but still powerful version

Despite being called the "Mini" version, this release still contains a lot of changes. About 9300 commits (changes) are not merged, about 500,000 lines of code have been modified. Most of these changes are located in the driver, which enables the hardware to work with the computer. Linus wrote in the issuance announcement email

:

[…] Of course, for us, "micro" still means that there are 500,000 lines of code changed and over 10,000 commits – but that's just barely achieved. In fact, if the merge is not counted, there are only about 9300 commits. So the short log is still too big to be published – it is only truly “mini” compared to our usual distributions. […]

Key 6.14-rc1 key changes

Driver

: About half of the changes are in the driver. This includes updates to many types of hardware, such as graphics cards, network cards and storage devices.
• Architecture Update
: Changes have also been made to different computer architectures (such as x86, ARM, etc.).
• File System Improvement
: Changes have been made to the way the computer stores and manages files.
• Tools and Documents
: Improvements to the kernel's tools and documents are also made.
• Tests and Questions

The kernel is tested to ensure everything works properly. In this version, some problems were found:

Build failed

: Some parts of the kernel were not built for i386, parisc, and sparc64 computing institutions. This means that the computer cannot create an operating system from the source code. These issues are being fixed with patches.
• Qemu test failed
: Some tests using Qemu (computer emulator) failed. Most of them are on ARM computers. The problem lies with the network, storage and USB components.
• Unit test failed
: Some small tests inside the kernel also failed. Most of these are related to stack initialization.
• Developers are working hard to fix them even if they have these issues. There is a special "fix" branch where you can find patches, i.e. changes that resolve the issue.

Experience Linux Kernel 6.14 RC1

This 6.14-rc1 version is smaller than previous versions, but it still contains many important changes . Since it's smaller, it will be easier to make it stable and ready for a final release. However, first, the problem found in the test needs to be fixed.

Kernel maintenance personnel are already working to fix the problems found. They will continue to test and make changes until the kernel is ready. As they work hard to release the final 6.14 version, we can expect to see more updates.
We encourage users and developers to thoroughly test this release candidate. Linux kernel 6.14 RC1 can be downloaded from the

Kernel.org website or the git tree of Linus Torvalds. Expected release date for the final version of Linux kernel 6.14

The Linux kernel release plan usually follows a predictable pattern

. After the release candidate version (RC) phase begins, there are usually 6 to 8 RC versions, each RC is released once a week.

Given that Linux Kernel 6.14 RC1 was released on February 2, 2025, we can estimate the final release date as follows:

If there are 7 RC versions (common quantity), the final release is about 7 weeks after RC1.

Add 7 weeks to February 2, 2025, about
• March 23, 2025
.
• This is an estimate of
, because the exact number of RCs may vary depending on the stability and readiness of the kernel. If more RC is needed, the release may be slightly delayed. Conversely, if less RC is required, the release may happen ahead of time.

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