Linux 7.2 kernel release introduces cache-aware scheduling

The Linux 7.2 kernel has been released, introducing several incremental improvements focused on scalability and performance. A primary feature is the implementation of cache-aware scheduling (CAS). This initiative addresses the limitations of treating all CPU cores as equal on modern multi-socket servers and many-core processors. By recognizing Last-Level Cache (LLC) topology, the scheduler can better co-locate threads that share data, improving performance on complex hardware.

Other notable updates in the 7.2 release include the graduation of large folios in Btrfs from experimental to stable, and security hardening designed to eliminate two persistent sources of kernel bugs.

In a related development, the Liquorix Linux Kernel 7.2-13 has been released by maintainer Steven Barrett. This version merges upstream Linux 7.2.8 and serves as a maintenance update. While it does not include new Project-C scheduler patches—as those were integrated in previous releases—it maintains the project’s signature interactive tuning, such as SMT-aware scheduling and Zen Interactive frequency defaults.