Linux Kernels 4.9.11 and 4.4.50 LTS Bring Networking Improvements, Updated Drivers

These new maintenance updates of the long-term supported Linux 4.9 and 4.4 kernel series are here only three days after the release of the Linux 4.4.49 LTS and Linux 4.9.10 LTS versions, so you can imagine that the changes implemented in point releases aren’t so big. According to the appended shortlogs, Linux kernel 4.9.11 LTS changes a total of 49 files, with 468 insertions and 342 deletions, and Linux kernel 4.4.50 LTS comes with 29 files changed, with 172 insertions and 89 deletions. Both Linux 4.9.11 LTS and Linux 4.4.50 LTS kernels include an updated networking stack that adds various IPv4 and IPv6 improvements, as well as some small changes to things like Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Distributed Switch Architecture (DSA), Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP), Controller Area Network (CAN), Ethernet, Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), and packet scheduler. On the other hand, they bring a few updated Ethernet drivers, for Mellanox and STMicroelectronics adapters.