Daily update · Oct 22, 2026
7.4 merge window: faster workqueue flushes, Landlock namespace controls, sched_ext proxy execution
Workqueue, LSM, and sched_ext pull requests lead this batch, along with fixes for cgroup hangs, Alpha FP emulation, and key address leaks.
In brief
The 7.4 merge window pull requests included here touch power management, thermal, SoC devicetrees, and many driver subsystems. The most notable changes for general enthusiasts are faster workqueue flushing on large machines, new Landlock namespace/capability controls, and sched_ext proxy execution. A handful of fixes also address cgroup hangs, an Alpha FP emulation mismatch, and kernel address leaks in key management.
Highlights
Faster workqueue flushing on large systems
The workqueue core now visits only the queues actually used since the last flush, instead of iterating over one queue per possible CPU.
Why it matters: Idle flushes can be 10 to 100 times faster on large machines, reducing overhead in filesystem and driver paths that flush frequently.
Landlock gains composable namespace and capability controls
Landlock, the kernel's unprivileged sandbox mechanism, can now compose restrictions on namespace types and Linux capabilities using new LSM hooks.
Why it matters: Sandboxed processes can be given finer-grained policy controls than before.
sched_ext can now use proxy execution
BPF schedulers using sched_ext can opt in to receive mutex-blocked tasks and donate their scheduling context to the lock owner.
Why it matters: This gives BPF schedulers a new tool for handling lock-related blocking and potential priority inversion.
Bug fixes
Cgroup control writes no longer hang on dying controllers
A write to cgroup.subtree_control or cgroup.type could block in D state while a task pinned a dying controller; the wait is now interruptible.
Why it matters: Should reduce long unkillable hangs when managing cgroups.
Alpha FP emulation matches hardware rounding behavior
The Alpha floating-point emulator now determines tininess after rounding, matching the hardware, instead of before rounding.
Why it matters: Fixes FP exception behavior for operations that trap to software emulation on Alpha.
Key management no longer leaks local kernel addresses
Key index values are no longer calculated in a way that leaks local kernel addresses.
Why it matters: Reduces an information-disclosure surface in the key management subsystem.
HID device interface use-after-free fixed
Fixes a use-after-free bug in the hiddev interface.
Why it matters: Removes a potential crash or memory-safety issue when using HID device nodes.
Source commits2767 entries +
Merge tag 'pm-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rafael/linux-pm
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'thermal-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rafael/linux-pm
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'driver-core-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/driver-core/driver-core
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'pwm/for-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/ukleinek/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'pwrseq-updates-for-v7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/brgl/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'gpio-updates-for-v7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/brgl/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
rust: missed rustfmt fix up in rust/kernel/mem.rs
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'regulator-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/broonie/regulator
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'spi-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/broonie/spi
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'regmap-v7.4-2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/broonie/regmap
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'mmc-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/ulfh/mmc
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'pmdomain-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/ulfh/linux-pm
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'watchdog-for-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/groeck/linux-staging
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/pateldipen1984/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'i2c-7.4-part1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/andi.shyti/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'auxdisplay-v7.4-1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/andy/linux-auxdisplay
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'hid-for-linus-2026102101' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/hid/hid
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'mailbox-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jassibrar/mailbox
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'soc-dt-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/soc/soc
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'soc-drivers-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/soc/soc
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'soc-defconfig-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/soc/soc
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'soc-arm-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/soc/soc
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rmk/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'alpha-fixes-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mattst88/alpha
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'powerpc-7.4-1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/powerpc/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'uml-for-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/uml/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'linux_kselftest-next-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/shuah/linux-kselftest
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'linux_kselftest-kunit-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/shuah/linux-kselftest
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'v7.4-p1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/herbert/crypto-2.6
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'integrity-v7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/zohar/linux-integrity
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'ipe-pr-20261019' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/wufan/ipe
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'landlock-7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mic/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'keys-v7.4-rc1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jarkko/linux-tpmdd
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'wq-for-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tj/wq
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'cgroup-for-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tj/cgroup
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'sched_ext-for-7.4' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tj/sched_ext
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-linus-tsm' of https://github.com/jgunthorpe/linux
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-linus-iommufd' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jgg/iommufd
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rdma/rdma
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026
Merge tag 'for-linus-fwctl' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/fwctl/fwctl
Linus Torvalds · Oct 22, 2026