System76’s Pop!_OS Linux distribution has recently made a significant upgrade to the Linux kernel, now shipping with the fresh Linux 6.8 stable series. This move not only showcases Pop!_OS’s commitment to providing the latest and most optimized experience for its users but also highlights the brand’s dedication to rolling out newer versions of the upstream Linux kernel once validated across its portfolio of laptops and desktops.

The upgrade to the Linux 6.8 kernel brings with it a host of exciting improvements and optimizations. New hardware support, the experimental Intel Xe graphics driver, various performance optimizations, and more are among the key features that users can look forward to.

What makes this upgrade even more significant is that Pop!_OS had bypassed using Linux 6.7 due to encountering some regressions on their hardware, which have since been fixed for the v6.8 series. This means that all of the Linux 6.7 features are new to Pop!_OS users, including the experimental Bcachefs file-system, NVIDIA GSP support in Nouveau, Radeon graphics driver improvements, and more.

System76’s continual shipping of new Linux kernel releases for Pop!_OS users is a testament to the brand’s commitment to enhancing performance and features, especially for newer platforms like the Thelio Major powered by the Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series. Fresh benchmarks for this platform are expected to be released shortly.