Linux 7.1-rc6 was released in June 2026, bringing support for the ASUS ROG RAIKIRI II and GameSir Nova 2 Lite gaming controllers, priced around $160 and $30-$35 respectively [1, 2]. The release features extensive driver updates across GPU, networking, USB, serial, sound, and SCSI components [2, 3]. Numerous USB quirks were merged, including fixes for the PNY Elite Portable SSD and Lenovo ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 hub controllers [4, 2].
Linus Torvalds commented on the release, saying, "Well, I wouldn't call this 'small', but it is certainly smaller than rc5 was. And I don't think there's anything particularly scary here, so maybe we're still on track for a normal release cycle. Let's see." [2]
Although the 7.1-rc6 release is smaller than the previous release candidate, it remains larger than ideal. No major issues have been reported so far [2, 3]. Meanwhile, development on Linux 7.2 continues. The Nouveau driver has added full support for NVIDIA's GA100 Ampere GPU within the kernel space [5]. AMDGPU driver changes are focused mainly on bug fixes, code cleanups, and some power management improvements, but HDMI 2.1 and FRL support for AMDGPU remains delayed and could be postponed until Linux 7.3 [6].
Earlier in May 2026, developers submitted the latest AMDGPU and AMDKFD patches for Linux 7.2 concentrating on stability and cleanup [6]. On June 1, 2026, Greg Kroah-Hartman announced the release of seven stable Linux kernels, including version 7.0.11, which contained important fixes [7].
The next expected milestone is the anticipated official release of Linux 7.1, following the release candidate testing phase.
