Linus Torvalds Kicks Off Development of Linux 5.1 Kernel, First RC Is Out Now

Two weeks have passed since the release of the major Linux 5.0 kernel series, so now the merge window is closed for the next release, Linux kernel 5.1, and the new development cycle is open. Everything is in normal parameters for the Linux 5.1 kernel, which now has a first Release Candidate milestone ready for public testing. The first Release Candidate of Linux kernel 5.1 is a bit larger in size than the latest Linux 5.0 kernel release, and, according to Linus Torvalds, it consists of just over 60 percent updated and new drivers for GPU, networking, block devices, and others. Worth mentioning is the inclusion of the Habana Labs AI accelerator chip driver.