• Linus Torvalds has released Linux 6.19 kernel, moving legacy AMD Radeon GPUs to the modern amdgpu driver and enabling larger block sizes in ext4 for improved storage performance. • The AMD driver switch brings native Vulkan support to the Radeon R9 290 and HD 7000 series GPUs, while the ext4 filesystem breaks the 4KB page size limit to improve write operations by up to 50%. • Following a one-week delay, this kernel saw an extended eight-week development cycle. • As Ubuntu 26.04 LTS will ship with the next kernel release, officially named Linux 7.0, current Ubuntu users can install mainline 6.19 builds via unsupported methods. • Linux 6.19 also introduces HDR colour pipeline support, better hardware compatibility for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, and filesystem optimisations that go beyond the headline improvements. • What’s New in Linux 6.19?
Article Summaries:
- Linux 6.19, released by Linus Torvalds, brings several performance and compatibility upgrades. The kernel now maps legacy AMD Radeon GPUs (e.g., R9 290, HD 7000 series) to the modern amdgpu driver, unlocking native Vulkan support and delivering up to 40 % speed gains for certain workloads. Ext4 receives a major tweak: block sizes can exceed the 4 KB page limit, boosting write performance by up to 50 % in ideal tests and adding smarter ACL caching. Additional features include a DRM colour‑pipeline API for hardware‑accelerated HDR, improved support for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, and a longer eight‑week development cycle. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS will ship with Linux 7.0, but users can still install 6.19 mainline builds.
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