Linux 5.0 with FreeSync support has arrived

The Linux 5.0 kernel was released on Sunday. Despite the version number, it is not a release with significantly more new functionality than other releases, but support for FreeSync and Nvidia Turing GPUs has been added, for example.

Linus Torvalds announced the distribution of Linux 5.0 on the Linux Kernel Mailing List on Sunday. He emphasizes that Linux has no feature releases. “5.0 doesn’t mean much more than the 4.x numbers got so big I ran out of fingers and toes.” Initially, the kernel version codenamed Shy Crocodile was also slated to appear as 4.21.

One of the prominent additions is the arrival of support for AMD FreeSync. To avoid stuttering and image tearing, Linux users must have a supported monitor, Mesa 19 and an updated xf86 video amdgpu package.

There is also support for Nvidia’s latest GPU generation Turing through the open source Nouveau driver. It’s about basic support that can’t be compared with that of the regular driver from Nvidia itself, but Linux 5.0 can be combined with GeForce RTX 2000 cards.

In addition, the new kernel version includes a touchscreen driver for the RaspBerry Pi and support for Google’s Adiantum has been added in Fscrypt. Adiantum is a disk encryption technology that works on systems with low hardware specifications, such as budget smartphones. In addition, the btrfs file system has restored support for swap files and supports high-resolution scrolling via the scroll wheels of Logitech and Microsoft mice.

Meanwhile, work on Linux 5.1 is in full swing, which will include support for Intel’s ‘Cyclone Peak’ 22260 network card for Wi-Fi ax.