Linux kernel 5.1 arrived over the weekend as the first major update to the Linux 5.0 kernel series, adding numerous new features and a bunch of improvements. Highlights include preparations for year 2038, configurable Zstd compression levels for the Btrfs file system, as well as support for cumulative patches in live kernel patching. Additionally, Linux kernel 5.1 introduces the ability to use persistent memory as RAM in addition to the physical memory, support for booting a system to a device-mapper device bypassing initramfs, a new cpuidle governor called TEO (Timer Events Oriented), faster and scalable asynchronous I/O, and better file system monitorization.