Linux 6.6 Kernel released with EEVDF scheduler, Shadow Stack, and performance improvements

In a recent announcement, Linus Torvalds confirmed the stable release of the Linux 6.6 kernel, bringing with it a host of new features, refinements, and bug fixes. This significant update delivers a variety of enhancements, including a fresh CPU scheduler designed to boost performance and diminish latency, a memory-efficient eventfs subsystem, and upgraded drivers for a wide range of gaming hardware.

The Linux 6.6 kernel brings to the forefront the much-anticipated Shadow Stack hardware security feature, devised to safeguard Intel CPUs from stack-overwrite attacks. Additional key features include a novel firmware-attributes driver, enabling BIOS setting modifications from within Linux on HP devices, and new IIO and Intel IVSC MEI drivers.

A standout feature of the Linux 6.6 kernel is the introduction of the EEVDF scheduler, which takes the place of the previous CFS scheduler. This change is expected to bring about improved scheduling performance.

The 6.6 release is predicted to be the next Long-Term Support (LTS) kernel, marking the conclusion of the stable series for 2023. The following kernel, Linux 6.7, is not anticipated to make its debut until the early part of 2024.