Phoronix
Independent Linux hardware news, graphics/compute drivers, benchmarks, and kernel developments.
Linux 7.1 Helping Intel Arc Battlemage Graphics Achieve Better Performance
Recent benchmarks show the upcoming Linux 7.1 kernel delivers noticeably better graphics performance for Intel’s Arc B580 Battlemage GPU compared with the current Linux 7.0 kernel. The tests used Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with Mesa 26.1, isolating the kernel upgrade as the only variable. Results indicate single‑digit to low‑double‑digit gains across a range of workloads. AMD’s RDNA4 GPUs saw no comparable uplift, highlighting Intel‑specific driver optimizations in the new kernel.
BeagleV Ahead & Lichee Pi 4a RISC-V Boards To See Working WiFi With Linux 7.2
The upcoming Linux 7.2 kernel will include device‑tree updates from the RISC‑V T‑HEAD team that enable native Wi‑Fi on two popular single‑board computers: BeagleV Ahead and Lichee Pi 4a. The BeagleV Ahead uses an AP6203BM Wi‑Fi module, while the Lichee Pi 4a relies on an...
Mesa 26.2 Lands VK_GOOGLE_display_timing Support For Direct Display Mode
Mesa 26.2‑devel now includes VK_GOOGLE_display_timing support for KHR_display, adding direct‑display timing to the open‑source Vulkan stack. The patch, authored by Mario Kleiner, builds on earlier work from 2018‑2025 and reuses the VK_EXT_present_timing infrastructure. Intel ANV, AMD RADV, PowerVR, Qualcomm Turnip...
Linux 7.1 + Mesa 26.1 Performance With The Radeon RX 9070 GRE, RX 9070 XT
AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 GRE and XT were benchmarked on Ubuntu 26.04 (Linux 7.0, Mesa 26.0) and on a development stack (Linux 7.1‑Git, Mesa 26.1.1). The author found virtually no performance difference between the stock and the newer kernel/driver combo across gaming and compute tests. A slight regression appeared...
GCC Git Enables Additional Tuning For AMD Zen 6
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) has introduced additional tuning flags for AMD's upcoming Zen 6 (znver6) architecture in its development branch. The new optimizations fuse ALU operations with subsequent conditional jumps when the ALU uses memory operands or immediate‑plus‑displacement operands, and...
Widely-Used Libinput Updated Due To Arbitrary Root Code Execution
The libinput library, essential for input handling in X.Org and Wayland Linux desktops, has released version 1.31.2 to address a critical vulnerability that enables arbitrary root code execution. The flaw stems from the libinput‑device‑group udev helper, where a malicious uinput...
3mdeb Keeps Making Progress On Their Coreboot + AMD openSIL Port To Ryzen MSI Board
3mdeb’s consulting team has extended its Dasharo‑flavored Coreboot and AMD openSIL firmware to the MSI PRO B850‑P WiFi motherboard, a consumer‑grade platform built on the Ryzen 9000 series AM5 socket. The latest build successfully initializes graphics and loads desktop‑specific ACPI tables, though the AMDGPU...
AMD EPYC 8635P "Sorano" Benchmarks: Significant Upgrade Opportunity For EPYC 8004 Servers
AMD has begun shipping its EPYC 8005 “Sorano” line, featuring the 84‑core, 4.5 GHz‑boost EPYC 8635P Zen 5 server CPU. The chip adds 20 cores, 256 MB more L3 cache, higher boost clocks and DDR5‑6400 support while only raising TDP by 25 W versus the EPYC 8004...
NVIDIA Hopper & Blackwell GPU Support Moves Closer For Open-Source Nova Driver
NVIDIA’s open‑source Nova driver has released its 12th patch series, rebasing onto the drm‑rust‑next branch and adding Rust code improvements. The update brings Hopper and Blackwell GPUs into the driver’s enablement pipeline, including support for the Foundation Security Processor (FSP)...
ASUS ZenVision Laptop Lid Screen Reverse Engineered & Now Able To Work On Linux
ASUS’s ZenVision is a 3.5‑inch monochrome display embedded in the lid of select Zenbook laptops, traditionally used for static info like time or battery status. Open‑source developer Olivier Magnier reverse‑engineered the proprietary USB protocol and released a Python user‑space driver and...
X.Org Server Starts June With Nine New Security Vulnerabilities Discovered Via AI
The X.Org Server and its XWayland component have been hit with nine new security vulnerabilities discovered in June. Eight were identified by Trend Micro’s TrendAI Zero Day Initiative, while a Red Hat developer uncovered the ninth. The flaws include multiple stack‑based...
Linux 7.2 Proceeding To Deprecate AF_ALG Due To "Massive Attack Surface", Drops Offloading
The upcoming Linux 7.2 kernel will fully deprecate the AF_ALG socket interface, which lets user‑space programs access the kernel’s built‑in cryptographic engine. Kernel maintainer Eric Biggers cites a “massive attack surface” exposed by AF_ALG, amplified by AI‑driven vulnerability tools. The deprecation also...
Phoronix Marking 22 Years Of Linux Hardware Coverage This Week
Phoronix marks its 22‑year anniversary on June 5, celebrating more than 5,600 original Linux hardware reviews and over 50,200 news pieces. To commemorate the milestone, the site is offering a limited‑time Premium subscription discount—$30 for a year or $150 for a...
Some Elements Of Intel APX Not Proving Beneficial On Nova Lake / Diamond Rapids
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) incorporated two Intel‑engineered patches that disable specific Advanced Performance Extensions (APX) features for the upcoming Nova Lake and Diamond Rapids CPUs. The memory‑form of the New Data Destination (NDD) instruction was turned off after benchmarks...
Dell Uses Intel Wildcat Lake To Deliver Their Cheapest XPS 13 Ever
Dell unveiled a new XPS 13 powered by Intel’s Wildcat Lake Core Series 3 processors, priced at $599 for students and $699 for the general market. The laptop is billed as the thinnest and lightest XPS model yet, featuring a 2.5K touchscreen, quad...