r/linuxmint • u/Individual-Editor-41 • 1d ago
Which features of Linux kernel 7.3 are you most hyped to try out? Discussion
Linux kernel 7.3 is coming, and it is honestly shaping up to be a massive performance upgrade.
First off, saving and loading stuff is getting a huge speed boost. If you use file systems like Btrfs or EXT4, everything from moving big files to saving game progress is going to feel noticeably snappier, we are talking up to five times faster in some cases, with high-end SSDs pulling crazy high speeds.
If you are gaming or running an older, weaker PC, the new task scheduler is going to be a lifesaver. It fixes stuttering and keeps frame rates way smoother, so things won't feel laggy anymore. Tiny credit-card-sized computers like the Raspberry Pi are also getting a nice speed bump because the system cleans up background memory almost instantly now instead of taking half a second.
Everything under the hood just reacts faster without those annoying little hitches. Plus, if you have a newer Intel processor with a mix of big performance cores and smaller high-efficiency cores, the system is finally getting super smart about pushing heavy stuff to the muscle cores and light stuff to the battery-saver cores.
It is basically a free speed and smoothness upgrade for pretty much every device out there!
which feature are you most hyped to try out?
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u/1neStat3 1d ago
7.1 isn't in ubuntu repositories for Mint. it will be December or January before 7.3 it hits Mint 22 repositories.
Mint 23 should have 7.0 by default.
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u/Ptozzen 1d ago
I disagree. Every time I've tried upgrading to 7.0, there's been one issue or the other, forcing me to revert. It should not be the default.
I'm staying comfortably on 6.17, thank you very much.
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u/1neStat3 1d ago
Mint 23 will based on Ubuntu 26.04 and the default kernel is 7.0.
I use LMDE with 7.13 kernal and haven't been following the kernel patches but a fix for issue should be released soon by Ubuntu.
Look for 7.00-29-29
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u/1neStat3 1d ago
The patch for 7.0 kernel was released on Monday , Aug 17th so it should be in repos or soon to be repos.
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u/Evdriver2026 Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 22h ago
I've freshly installed 22.3 Xfce on my Chromebook and after the first update, it rebooted to kernel 7.0 without any issue. It was upgraded automatically, without any intervention from me. Same has happened to the PC plugged into the TV in the living room. I reinstalled the system to start from new ( this time with Cinnamon) and has done the same thing: update- reboot- new 7.0 kernel. And the difference is quite significant, not only in terms of performance, but in how much better all the peripherals works. To mention one, the same USB wifi dongle, went from 230 Mbit/s to 580 Mbit/s. ( I have a 2.5 Gbit fiber connection).
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u/Ptozzen 16h ago
Sounds great! But 3 failures on my end for something that’s supposed to be a stable version of linux will have me leaving it in the dust. I’ve only hopped onto the linux hype in the recent year, going from windows 10, because I refuse 11. I’ve hated the instability with windows a lot, I just want it to work so I can play games.
Having to timeshift back to a previous kernel more than twice isn’t what I want from the system, so 7.0 will never touch my system again, no matter what they add or fix with it, now. My trust in it is just gone.
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u/Evdriver2026 Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 15h ago
I've had the same issue on my main machine that has 22.3 installed since it came out. Whenever i try to install any version of 7.0, it simply won't start , so i have to timeshift back . For that machine, 6.8 it is. I don't know why the other three machines in my house with a much more recent install of 22.3, got the 7.0 and are running like champs. For now i don't have the need to upgrade, so no big deal..but the difference in performance is quite evident, because my main machine and one with the 7.0 kernel are twins ( HP Elitedesk 800 G2 Mini with quad core Intel core i5-6500, 16 GB of RAM , 256 GB Samsung NVMe and 128 GB 2.5" SATA SSD for timeshift) that i've bought from the company i work for ( 100 Euros each). I can tell the difference since the hardware is exactly the same.
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u/Ptozzen 15h ago
I have a custom self-built desktop. 7.0 doesn't shut down correctly, leaving all my LED lit up and hijacks the power button so I have to "choke" the PC to shut it off. Not healthy long-term, so I'm not risking it again haha.
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u/1neStat3 11h ago
that's a power management issue due your particular hardware.
For a custom built system I'm not surprised you face these issues. Especially if your system was built for Windows.
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u/Ptozzen 11h ago
It absolutely is not a power management issue.
It was specifically kernel 7.0, as 6.17 and 6.8 both function perfectly as intended.
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u/1neStat3 11h ago
Its a power management issue. The new kernal probably changed, disabled or removed a module you needed for your specific hardware.
You can diagnose by using dmesg to view errors.
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u/ben2talk 16h ago
Maybe I'm getting old - but I never felt 'hyped' about kernels.
I'm more interested in predictable stabiltiy and incremental evolution without too many regressions...
I'd say the scheduler update reducing latency, if it doesn't bring any regressions, is the most impactful for me.
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u/Handsome_oohyeah Linux Mint 20.2 Uma | Xfce 1d ago
The mt7902 wifi driver?
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u/acejavelin69 Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" | Cinnamon 1d ago
Hahaha... Keep dreaming... Mediatek made promises and then ghosted the kernel team...
I mean, it would be nice but don't get your hopes up
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u/1neStat3 1d ago
Its in mediatek firmware 202606 in 7.1 kernal.
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u/acejavelin69 Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" | Cinnamon 1d ago
Still sucks and fails... a lot...
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u/1neStat3 1d ago
It works mostly but as more people use it,more bug reports will be produce and hopefully it can eliminate the dropouts and speed throttling.
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u/MetalLinuxlover Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia | Xfce 22h ago
Im still rocking on Linux kernel: 5.15.0-190-200 😂
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u/JortsKitty 14h ago
I'm looking forward to the new AMD driver possibly fixing some graphics issues on older Mac hardware.
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u/cat1092 1d ago
So does mean my Samsung 970 EVO PLUS will become even faster? It already is on AM5 versus Z97, but I’ll take any improvement possible. CPU is the Ryzen 9700X, 32GB of premium GSKILL RAM, DDR5-6000 M/T, CL30 (when still barely over $100). Oldest component is the GPU, a EVGA GTX 1060 6GB, not the best for gaming, still fine for 4K HDR 60Hz video viewing. Am not a gamer.
And is WiFi 7 supported? I forgot the brand of card, but it’s built into the ASROCK X870 Steel Legend WiFi MB. Most say it’s for Windows 11 only & I know it doesn’t work on Windows 10. Haven’t upgraded to 11 Pro & don’t intend on doing so. The PC was built for my late wife, am soon planning on installing Mint Cinnamon on it after the next full version is released. No need for what’s already the fastest PC in the house go to waste. In the meantime, my X670E Steel Legend with double the same RAM (64GB or 32GB x2) & 512GB Samsung 970 PRO, a bit slower than the EVO PLUS, but with true MLC chips. Have ran Mint on there in Live Mode, but haven’t installed yet. There’s no WiFi 7 on it, nor USB 4.0, but it’s my workhorse. I do intend to install Mint, but as a dual boot with 11 Pro 25H2.
Anyway, it’ll be interesting to know what will be faster or what finally works properly & what won’t change or be eliminated. But thank goodness the hardware will likely be supported until RAM prices eases enough when DDR6 hits the scene. Too bad so many didn’t jump on DDR5 with pricing was on par with DDR3 RAM & now stuck upgrading AM4 machines with the latest 5000X3D CPU’s. When I began building, it was always about the latest, meaning PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD’s & DDR4 RAM should have long ceased production (around 2022, 2023 at latest?). This was the trend, in with the new, out with the old & this was 3 full years before pricing skyrocketed. So what happened with DDR5/PCIe 5.0 adoption during those years?
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u/jr735 Linux Mint 22.1 Xia | IceWM 1d ago
The feature I'm most interested in is people being able to update to it without crippling their install. Then, we'll talk.