Linux 4.1-rc8 is now available for download and testing

Jun 15, 2015 02:39 GMT  ·  By

A few minutes ago, Linus Torvalds was more than happy to announce the release of the final RC (Release Candidate) version for the upcoming Linux kernel 4.1, which will see the light of day in two weeks from today.

Linux kernel 4.1 RC8 (Release Candidate 8) is the last milestone before the final release of the highly anticipated kernel branch is published and distributed to users worldwide. On this occasion, we want to remind you that Linux kernel 4.1 will be an LTS (Long Term Support) release.

According to Linus Torvalds, Linux kernel 4.1 RC8 is a small release that consists of the usual driver updates, especially for Ethernet, slave-dma, and spund, various DRM fixes, and networking updates. For the final release, the kernel developers are working hard on continuing fixes for the MIPS, ARM, x86, and s390 architectures.

"So I'm on vacation, but time doesn't stop for that, and it's Sunday, so time for a hopefully final rc.," says Linus Torvalds. "The fixes are pretty small, and hopefully we're all good now. But another week of testing certainly won't hurt, so rc8 is perfectly appropriate."

Those of you who want to test this Release Candidate version can download Linux kernel 4.1 RC8 right now via Softpedia or from the kernel.org website. We remind you that this is a pre-release software that still has some rough edges. Thus, it's not suitable for production environments where stability is of the essence.