Linux kernel 5.4 has been in development since early October and received a total of eight Release Candidate milestones, which implemented numerous new features starting with the initial support for Microsoft’s exFAT file system that’s now finally built-in in the kernel to offer users an out-of-the-box experience when connecting exFAT formatted drives. Another major change introduced in Linux kernel 5.4 is the kernel lockdown feature, which is implemented as a Linux Security Module to restrict certain applications from accessing the kernel. It adds a new layer of protection, built in the kernel, to make it possible to run software as it was intended by its creator, thus blocking malicious actors.