The two-week merge window for Linux kernel 5.16, the next major Linux kernel release, closes today, and, as expected, it ends with the availability for public testing of the first Release Candidate.
While Linux kernel 5.15 is shy to appear in the stable software repositories of some of the most popular GNU/Linux distributions these days (hint: it just hit Arch Linux’s repos on Friday), development on the next major kernel series, Linux 5.16, is ramping up, and now it’s time to go out and test the first RC (Release Candidate).
Linus Torvalds just announced today the very first Release Candidate milestone of Linux kernel 5.16, which promises to be a great release for Linux gamers as it adds Collabora’s FUTEX2 system call that brings better performance in modern games with more efficient CPU utilization when using Valve’s Proton Wine-based compatibility tool for Steam Play that lets you play many Windows games on Linux.