Abstract:
The Linux 7.3 merge window is scheduled to end in two weeks, and Linux 7.3-rc1 is now available for users to download and test. Linux 7.3-rc1 A large amount of new code is included, covering many aspects such as new hardware and improved hardware support, file system enhancements, and security improvements. In addition, a large number of fixes have been added to various parts of the kernel due to development activities driven by artificial intelligence and large language models.
Linux 7.3 brings new optimizations for Intel hybrid architecture processors, improved support for the upcoming AMD Zen 6 platform, and improved Btrfs performance. This release also adds Nouveau support for NVK Vulkan Video, kernel driver support for the 2026 Valve Steam Controller, and preliminary support for the Apple M3 Ultra, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.
At the same time, Linux 7.3 also adds support for the new generation of AMD graphics IP, begins preliminary support for Intel Starfire, and enables Intel Xe3P graphics support on the Nova Lake platform by default. The FailFS file system has been mainlined, USB4STREAM has a new low-latency mode, and many other new features.
Linux 7.3 also includes gameplay improvements submitted by Valve to improve performance on systems with very limited video memory. As artificial intelligence and large language model agents continue to create a lot of noise, some old or obsolete hardware drivers continue to be removed.
Linux 7.3-rc1 is already available via Git.
Linus Torvalds subsequently released routine notes marking Linux 7.3-rc1. He said:
"Two weeks have passed, it's Sunday afternoon and the merge window has closed.
Nothing that stands out, except that this time it's huge. It's not our largest rc1 ever, but certainly one of the larger batches, at least in terms of the number of commits.
I don't think this should surprise anyone. It's this pattern that we've been seeing for some time.
In terms of the actual size of the difference, it's also large, and the reason for this is not surprising: this is yet another version that contains a large AMD GPU register dump. This time it's the register header file for AMD DCN6. They are, as always, very large, which is what happens when the hardware definitions are all exported as macro definitions in C header files. Companion code for new generation hardware is also included. In total, these AMD GPU code and header dumps represent about a third of the entire rc1 patch.
However, if this huge part is excluded, the overall situation appears to be quite normal. Despite its larger size, this merge window doesn't feel that much different than most releases. I also added work to my workload by doing something very unwise: I upgraded the system during the merge window and then had to track down a resulting issue that was entirely my own responsibility. I knew clearly that I shouldn't do this, but I naively thought that 'nothing would go wrong'. Fortunately everything worked out in the end, except that I made merging windows more difficult than it should have been.
I hope that the subsequent development of this version can proceed smoothly and be smaller and calmer. But I didn’t even believe what I said. It almost certainly won't be small, but I can always hope. ”
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