The GNU Linux-libre 6.12-gnu kernel is now available as the downstream of the newly-christened [1]Linux 6.12 kernel that aims to remove code depending upon non-free microcode/firmware or relying on other elements of code deemed non-free software even with much of today's hardware requiring proprietary firmware for operation.

The [2]release announcement sums up the GNU Linux-libre 6.12-gnu changes as:

# Changes to the cleaning up

- neutered blob-demanding code in CPM/QE QMC SoC, Realtek 8852BE-VT wifi, amlogic bluetooth protocol support, amcc qt2025 phy, aw96103/aw96105 awinic proximity sensor, TI TLV320AIC31XX codecs

*yawns*

- updated cleaning up of Renesas xHCI controllers, and of Intel ISH (Integrated Sensor Hub) HID,

- updated blob names to clean up in drivers for MHI PCI host, Adreno 620/621, r8169, Qualcomm q6v5 remoteproc, rtw8852c, rtw8922a

- dropped cleaning up of ks7010 and Intel SkyLake audio; both drivers were removed upstream

*yawns*

- cleaned up blob names in TI PRU am642 and Qualcomm arm64 dts files

- clean up a newly-added sourceless GPLed program whose object code is disguised as a sequence of hex numbers

This more purified version of the Linux kernel sources is available from [3]FSFLA.org .

In addition to all the blob cleaning of the kernel code they also continue to put out interesting release artwork.



[1] https://www.phoronix.com/search/Linux+6.12

[2] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2024-11/msg00001.html

[3] https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/selibre/linux-libre/#news