Even before the Linux 6.19 merge window wrapped up this weekend with the Linux 6.19-rc1 release, there was already the first pull request to DRM-Next of the first batch of new material to be queued for Linux 6.19’s successor.

Last week Maxime Ripard sent in the first pull request of post-6.19 driver changes. One could assume after Linux 6.19 would be Linux 6.20, but if Linus Torvalds’ traditions hold, it will likely be Linux 7.0. Linus Torvalds typically bumps the first version number after hitting X.19 release. So short of any changes to his versioning scheme, after Linux 6.19 will more than likely be Linux 7.0.

Whatever the next kernel version number is, the first batch of drm-misc-next code will be queued in DRM-Next until that merge window kicks off in February. This first batch of changes include adding a new buffer object synchronization ioctl (BO_SYNC) for the Panthor and Panfrost Arm Mali drivers.

In addition to the new buffer object interfaces for Panthor and Panfrost, this first pull also has some new DRM fence helpers, GEM code to reduce page table overhead when using Transparent Huge Pages (THP), DRM Panic will now report invalid panic modes, and support for the KDB debugger has been removed for DRM drivers. The DRM graphics drivers are removing support for the KDB built-in kernel debugger. Driver support for KDB turned out to be broken for years without any complaining and KDB not using regular DRM mode-setting interfaces and thus require specialized hooks. Only three drivers ever implemented those KDB hooks and long story short it turned out to be a maintenance mess that isn’t even working these days. Thus that KDB integration is being dropped.

More details on these initial drm-misc-next changes for Linux 7.0~6.20 can be found via this pull request to DRM-Next.