Linux 6.3 Features Expected From AMD Auto IBRS To Pluton CRB TPM2 & Dropping Old Code

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 6.3 Features Expected From AMD Auto IBRS To Pluton CRB TPM2 & Dropping Old Code

There still is another month to go until the Linux 6.2 kernel is released as stable and in turn kicking off the Linux 6.3 merge window. But from my monitoring in recent weeks, here is an early preview of some of the material expected for the v6.3 kernel based on what's been queuing in the various subsystem "-next" branches or otherwise looking like it should align for the next cycle...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.3-Early-Features-Look

[DrYak]

The ATI Rage dropping will be slightly more problematic than the other legacy code:
unlike those, ATI Rage aren't only found on ancient vintage gaming machine (that don't even need a modern kernel).
These chips are also found as embed graphics inside servers much more recently. I.e.: machine that could still benefit from the latests bells and whistles from current kernels.
(But given the need, somebody will probably scratch an itch and do the required KMS port).

Small nostalgic tear at seeing 3dfx go.

[EphemeralEft]

Besides the ZSTD upgrade in 6.2, neither 6.2 nor 6.3 (assuming that list is correct) have anything that interest me.

Maybe I’ll stick to the LTS for once…

[Adarion]

+ for IBRS handling
+ for PM improvements
+ for better FW handling on AMD GPUs, this has been quite a pain in the past if you forgot a single thing and shortly after booting the screen would go black
but
- for ATI Rage driver removal
- for MS Pluton crap inside CPUs, I'm totally wary when I read MS and/or obscure "security" chips, esp. embedded deeply in CPUs or mainboards

[mjg59]

The ATI Rage dropping will be slightly more problematic than the other legacy code:
unlike those, ATI Rage aren't only found on ancient vintage gaming machine (that don't even need a modern kernel).
These chips are also found as embed graphics inside servers much more recently. I.e.: machine that could still benefit from the latests bells and whistles from current kernels.
(But given the need, somebody will probably scratch an itch and do the required KMS port).

Small nostalgic tear at seeing 3dfx go.

It's the DRM code that's going, not anything else - atyfb is still there. So all that's lost is 3D acceleration, and I don't think the server parts had the 3D core included?

[DrYak]

It's the DRM code that's going, not anything else - atyfb is still there. So all that's lost is 3D acceleration, and I don't think the server parts had the 3D core included?

Which opens a couple of questions:
- how long until GUI absolutely rely on OpenGL to draw? (Well, at least, you can stretch that longer by using alternative desktop environments. If KDE or Gnome don't run anymore on your server, and you absolutely need to open a GUI shell to do your administrative work, you should be able to drop to LXQt or Xfce).
- how long until the kernel stops relying on hardware-specific ***fb for console output, and switches to framebuffer that piggy back on top of the DRM stack? (Though hopefully by then the old servers would have been retired and replaced with newer machine with embed Intel and AMD graphics)