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<\/div> Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source<\/span><\/a><\/span> On Google.<\/p>\n Once upon a time \u2013 in 2015, to be exact \u2013 Linux creator Linus Torvalds was long sick and tired of confusing Linux kernel version numbers. Since he was “close to running out of fingers and toes,” he decided that instead of 3.20, he would use 4.0 for the next release. <\/p>\n Also: France is replacing 2.5 million Windows desktops with Linux \u2013 and I’ve designed a new stack of it<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, they have released Linux 7.0, the successor to Linux 6.19, for this very reason. If someone tells you that 7.0 is a “major” release, they are wrong. It’s a good release with some important changes, but it’s not “major”. <\/p>\n That said, after more than five years of debate and incremental work Rust has finally become a stable part of Linux with this release. by invitation only Linux Kernel Maintainers Summit<\/a> In December 2025 in Tokyo, Linux kernel developer Jonathan Corbett wrote, “The consensus among Ensemble developers is that Rust in the kernel is no longer experimental<\/a> – This is now the core part of the kernel and will remain here. So the ‘experimental’ tag will be removed.” <\/p>\n Specifically, in 7.0, the kernel’s build tooling now recognizes Rust modules natively, with full cross-compilation support for x86_64, ARM, and RISC-V chips.<\/p>\n Indeed, some Linux distro vendors, e.g. Canon’s<\/a>‘S ubuntu<\/a>Incorporating Rust into Linux as soon as possible. As John Seager, Ubuntu’s vice president of engineering, told me last fall, Canonical will replace key system components with Rust-based alternatives to increase security and resiliency.<\/p>\n Also: New rules for AI-assisted code in the Linux kernel: What every developer needs to know<\/strong><\/p>\n Another important improvement in 7.0 is a new scheduler that enables lazy discount <\/a>As a default<\/a>. The modified scheduler will optimize performance on hybrid CPU architectures such as Intel’s Alder Lake and ARM’s big.little processors. Additionally, the new \u201cAdaptive Scheduling Domain\u201d mechanism dynamically balances core workloads to reduce latency while improving battery life and thermal efficiency on mobile platforms. Server operators will see tangible improvements in throughput under mixed compute loads, especially when running containerized workloads in cloud environments. <\/p>\n In related changes, Time-Slice Extension (TIP)<\/a> Now it is ready. If you are a Linux desktop and gaming user, you will appreciate its effects. <\/p>\n Perhaps the most interesting change in 7.0 is not in the Linux code, but in the adoption of AI by the Linux developer community. As Torvalds said in his 7.0 release notes, “I suspect it’s this very overuse of AI tools that will continue to find corner cases for us for some time, so this may be the ‘new normal’ for at least a while.” In other words, we will see many more AI contributions to Linux soon. <\/p>\n This sentiment is echoed by Greg Kroah-Hartman, maintainer of the Linux stable kernel, who recently told me that instead of AI sloping maintainers into sinking AI, “something happened and the world changed. Now we have actual reports.” He further said, it is not just Linux. “All open-source projects have real reports<\/a> They’re made of AI, but they’re good, and they’re real.”<\/p>\n Also: I Tried a Command-Line-Only Distro That Can Seriously Improve Your Linux Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n Kroah-Hartmann said they’ve updated some documentation in the “security-bugs.rst file” to keep AI tools (and indeed any users reading the documentation) informed. How to send us a better security bug report<\/a> “Because the number of reports has increased dramatically over the past few weeks because of tools getting better at finding things.”<\/p>\n Clearly, AI has become part of the Linux toolbox.<\/p>\n Sounds interesting? Do you want to try 7.0? Well, you can do it the hard way Pulling the 7.0 repository<\/a> And compiling the kernel itself. Not really! it’s not that hard. <\/p>\n Let’s say you’re not a hardcore Linux user yet. You can still kick the tires of 7.0 by using one of those distributions that make a point of releasing versions with the latest kernel as soon as possible. <\/p>\n Also: This is my all-time favorite Linux distro \u2013 and I’ve tried them all<\/strong><\/p>\n 7.0 is already available in the following distros: arch linux<\/a>, openSUSE Tumbleweed<\/a>, gentoo<\/a>, NixOS (Unstable)<\/a>, fedora rawhide<\/a>And Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Beta\/RC)<\/a>. You will also see this in the next few weeks fedora 44<\/a> And Ubuntu 26.04. After that, popular Ubuntu-derived distributions such as linux mint<\/a> And Pop!_OS 26.04<\/a> It will be launched – a relative of Arch Linux Manjaro<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, keep in mind that although 7.0 is now out, it is also brand new. You can be sure that you will encounter some bumps along the way. But, if you prefer to live at the blazing speed of Linux, it’s worth the trouble. enjoy! <\/p>\n<\/div>\nZDNET Highlights<\/h3>\n
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after all war is native<\/h2>\n
How to Try Linux 7.0 Today<\/h2>\n