Ubuntu

Sep 1, 2026 · Industry Insights

Linux 7.3‑rc1 Arrives: 40.98 Million Lines of Code—But Only a Few Changes Matter

Linux 7.3‑rc1, released by Linus Torvalds, pushes the kernel past 40.98 million lines, largely due to AMD’s DCN6 header additions, yet the most impactful improvements are a Zstd decompression speed boost, the long‑awaited MGLRU fix, and new BPF enhancements, with additional benefits for AMD Zen 6, Apple Silicon, Steam Controller, Btrfs users, and hints of AI‑driven development.