Linux 5.3 with AMD Navi support has arrived

Linus Torvalds has announced that the Linux 5.3 kernel is available. The kernel has support for AMD Navi GPUs and x86 processors from the Chinese chip manufacturer Zhaoxin, among other things.

The new release brings support for the Radeon RX 5700 cards, which are based on AMD Navi GPUs. The software can now also handle x86 processors from Zhaoxin, a Chinese manufacturer that has set itself the goal of making CPUs as powerful as Intel’s Core and AMD’s Ryzen chips.

In addition, the Linux kernel now supports Intel’s server chip technology Speed ​​Select Technology. This gives companies more management options for the processors. This allows them to set the basic frequencies, depending on the applications of servers.

Also, version 5.3 has expanded support for ARM chips and computing boards with those chips, such as Allwinner’s socs, Rockchip and Amlogic, and there are extensions in support for the RISC V architecture. Phoronix has prepared a list of the changes.

The Linux 5.3 kernel has been in development for two months and has had eight release candidates. According to the original planning, there would be seven. The reason there was an additional release candidate is Torvalds’ busy travel schedule, the Linux patriarch reports.

The stable version of Linux 5.4 should be released in November.