Zack's Kernel News
Zack's Kernel News
Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the little links that bring us closer within the Linux kernel community.
Minimum Version Numbers for Build Tools
Long ago, when this ancient planet was not yet quite so ancient, the Linux kernel refused to support newer versions of the GNU C compiler (GCC). Compiler development proceeded, and Linux would compile only on a specific older version because Linus Torvalds disagreed with some of the new behaviors going into GCC. In other words, it was war.
Today the situation is much different, and the Linux kernel now identifies the minimum version of the tools it requires, rather than the maximum. And today, as Masahiro Yamada pointed out recently, Linux supports GCC version 5.1 and later.
However, Masahiro noted that version 2.23 of GNU Binutils – the assembler, the linker, and other tools essential for building anything with GCC – was now 10 years old and showing its age. Masahiro wanted to raise Linux's minimum supported version to Binutils 2.25, which was released just around the time of GCC 5.1 (seven years ago). He posted a patch to make that change.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.