Looking Ahead To The Linux 4.11 Kernel

The Linux 4.10 kernel is expected to be released today and while it comes with many exciting changes, the 4.10 release means the opening of the Linux 4.11 merge window.

We've already been monitoring some of the patches that will likely be introduced in Linux 4.11. Here's some of what you can hopefully expect to see in Linux 4.11:

- AMDGPU will have more power management fixes, TTM changes and other improvements.

- Frame-buffer compression by default for Intel Skylake hardware and newer. There is also DP MST audio support and other improvements to the Intel DRM driver.

- The Nouveau driver has gone through a bit of Secure Boot refactoring and making use of a Falcon library, changes contributed by NVIDIA. There are also other mostly lower-level changes.

- Samsung's Exynos DRM has 4K/UHD support for the TM2/TME2 development boards.

- Feature work on the ZTE DRM driver.

- Possible Kabylake P-State tweaking.

- Greater Turbo Boost Max 3.0 support.

- There was a hope to see Heterogeneous Memory Management for Linux 4.11 but I haven't seen the patches queued up yet.

- Possible OPAL self-encrypting drive support.

What else are you hoping to see out of Linux 4.11? Share your thoughts with us in the forums. Stay tuned for all of our original coverage of the Linux 4.11 merge window over the next two weeks.