Linux in The News 9-4-23

Last Updated on September 4, 2023 by KC7NYR

GNU Linux-Libre 6.5 Kernel Released for Those Seeking 100% Freedom for Their PCs

This kernel is targeted at those who want to build a 100% free computer that doesn’t include any proprietary code.

GNU Linux Libre 6.5

The GNU Linux-libre project announced today the release and general availability of the GNU Linux-libre 6.5 kernel for those who seek 100% freedom for their GNU/Linux computers and software freedom lovers.

Based on the just-released Linux 6.5 kernel series, the GNU Linux-libre 6.5 kernel is here to rework the cleaning up of the iwlwifi driver to reflect the revamp of blob names in it and adjust the cleaning scripts to account for cleaned-up ARM dts files that were moved in the “source” tree.

The GNU Linux-libre 6.5 kernel also cleans up the usual assortment of new dts files that declare dependencies on binary blobs, updates the cleaning up of the amdgpu, adreno, rtl8xxxu, and x86 touchscreen drivers, as well as of the atomisp docs, and cleans up new drivers for rtw8851b and the TAS2781 speaker.

Other than that, this release comes with all the new features and improvements, as well as the updated and new drivers that have been included in the upstream Linux 6.5 kernel series. However, the GNU Linux-libre kernel does NOT ship with non-free components, as the upstream kernel does.

The GNU Linux-libre kernel is targeted at software freedom lovers and Linux purists who want to build a 100% free GNU/Linux computer without any proprietary drivers or code. You can download the latest release’s compressed tarballs right now from the official website.

Ready-to-use binary packages for Debian-based (DEB) and Red Hat-based (RPM) distributions can be found at the Freesh project and RPM Freedom. The GNU Linux-libre kernel can be installed on virtually any GNU/Linux distribution alongside or as a replacement for the standard kernel.