It took its own sweet time -- over 20 years! -- but real-time Linux finally made it into the mainline Linux kernel.  It's baked inside Linux

Real-time Linux leads kernel v6.12's list of new features

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2024-11-25 18:30:15

It took its own sweet time -- over 20 years! -- but real-time Linux finally made it into the mainline Linux kernel.  It's baked inside Linux kernel version 6.12. This is a major new release.

Linux 6.12's standout feature is the long-awaited inclusion of real-time "PREEMPT_RT" support in the mainline kernel. This capability dramatically improves the performance of real-time applications by making kernel processes preemptible. Real-time Linux now works in 32-bit and 64-bit Intel/AMD systems, 64-bit ARM, and RISC-V architectures.

Another major addition is the new extensible scheduler, sched_ext, which leverages eBPF technology and grants users more control over process scheduling and prioritization. Specifically, scheduling decisions can be tailored to specific workloads and use cases, providing eBPF developers with significant performance improvements for some applications.

Put it all together, and the Linux kernel will now be fully preemptible. This enables Linux to respond to events within microseconds, which is crucial for applications that require precise timing, such as industrial control systems, robotics, and audio production.

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