Linux Weekly Releases Issue #60 (Week 28 – 7/11/2026)

Every week, new Linux versions that are under a supported version series get released to incorporate bug fixes and other general improvements that are pushed to the servicing branches. This ensures that your Linux user experience gets better when latest versions fix some of the bugs.

This week, the below Linux kernel versions under the v7.x series are released:

Please note that the downloads are in the source code form, so this means that you may have to compile from source in order to use one of the Linux versions shown above. Your distribution might not include the above Linux versions.

NeXTSTEP 3.3 (x86) on 86Box with Socket 7 (Dual Voltage) [1996]

NeXTSTEP is an object-oriented operating system that was officially released for the first time for computers using the Motorola 68000 series as the processor. This operating system was first found in NeXT Computer workstations sold by NeXT Inc., which was a technology company founded by Steve Jobs.

In 1996, Apple Computer acquired NeXTSTEP and OpenSTEP and used them as a foundation to build Mac OS X, which was later rebranded to macOS, for Macintosh computers. The Darwin kernel uses NeXTSTEP’s technologies to power the core part of macOS (Mac computers and laptops), iOS (iPhone), iPadOS (iPad), watchOS (Apple Watch), and tvOS (Apple TV).

Our focus in this article is testing NeXTSTEP 3.3 on an 86Box emulated machine with a Socket 7 (Dual Voltage) [1996] motherboard. You can download it from here.

We’ve configured the virtual machine as follows:

We’ve configured a virtual machine to run with:

• Machine type: [1996] Socket 7 (Dual Voltage)
• Machine: [ALi ALADDiN IV+] Biostar M5ATA
• CPU: Intel Pentium @ 90 MHz
• Memory: 32 MB
• Video: [ISA16] S3 86c924 (AMI)
• Keyboard: AT Keyboard
• Mouse: PS/2 Mouse
• Sound card: None
• Floppy disk controller: Internal device
• Hard disk controller 1: Internal device
• SCSI controller 1: [ISA16] BusLogic BT-542B
  • Address: 0x330
  • IRQ: 11
  • DMA: 5
  • BIOS address: C800H
• New hard disk: NeXTSTEP.vhd
  • C/H/S: 2080/16/63
  • Size: 1024 MB
  • Bus: SCSI
  • Channel: 0:00
• CD-ROM drive 1: [SCSI-2] PHILIPS CDD2600 1.07 (6x)
  • Channel: 0:01

Once everything is configured as above, we can now start the virtual machine. We’ll have to change the boot order to ensure that SCSI comes first before C then A. Please make sure that you’ve set the hard disk, the SCSI controller, and the CD-ROM parameters correctly, as NeXTSTEP requires SCSI for a successful installation, and is very picky about specific parameters during the installation.

Now, insert the disc called NeXTSTEP_3.3_User_(i386_m68k).iso to the CD-ROM reader and the floppy disk called 3.3_Boot_Disk.img to the floppy drive, then let the system start.

After that, let it boot to the installer, then press 1 in both screens to begin installation.

Now, insert the device drivers disk to the floppy drive. The disk name is 3.3_Driver_Disk.img.

Now, choose the BusLogic ISA device driver for both the CD-ROM used to install NeXTSTEP from and the hard drive to install it to. Make sure that you’ve selected a device driver called BusLogic ISA SCSI Adapter (v3.31).

Then, continue without loading additional drivers.

Let NeXTSTEP start.

Confirm that the correct disk and the correct size is shown. Then, press 1 to select it. Afterwards, press 1 to erase the whole disk, and press 1 once again to confirm the installation.

Let the first stage of installation copy the base system files to the hard disk.

Afterwards, the installer should say that the installation is successful. Remove any disk from the floppy drive, then press ENTER to restart the virtual machine to the second stage of the setup.

If everything goes well, you should see this screen.

Configure the S3 graphics adapter by clicking on the monitor icon, then click on Add… > S3 Graphics Adapter > Add. Then, go back to the main menu by clicking on the paper icon at the left of the window, and click Save.

A new window opens where you’ll be able to customize what components will be installed to your NeXTSTEP system. We have kept everything as the default, so we clicked Install.

Let the installation begin.

Click on Restart, and let it reboot to the NeXTSTEP language and keyboard layout customization screen.

Click OK, and the desktop will load with the file viewer open.

Here’s a demonstration of this operating system running on 86Box.

Samsung releases Galaxy XR in the UK

The Galaxy XR is now available in the UK, and you can purchase the head unit from the official Samsung website.

For a limited time, you can receive an Explorer Pack worth £665 once you purchase the head unit. This promotion includes:

• 12 months of Google AI Pro
• 12 months of YouTube Premium
• 12 months of Google Play Pass
• 12 months of Calm Premium
• 12 months of Project Pulsar by Adobe
• NFL PRO ERA
• Immersive experience ASTEROID

Galaxy XR (SM-I610) can be purchased in the UK for £1,699.

Opening new worlds and taking things to the next level while breaking the boundaries is what Galaxy XR does by introducing you to an Android XR experience that is enhanced by multimodal AI capabilities with Gemini embedded in it. This doesn’t make Galaxy XR a normal XR device, but it makes it a strong XR wearable with powerful hardware built for AI.

Galaxy XR understands your surroundings by hearing what they hear and seeing what they’re seeing, while being packed with multimodal AI capabilities to help you manage your tasks and to provide you with natural and intuitive interactions through the forms of voice, vision, and gesture. This allows Galaxy XR to respond in conversational ways to make it feel more like a human.

With open collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, Galaxy XR benefits from the open and scalable XR ecosystem, which allows you to run all apps that are built on the Android platform on the Galaxy XR. Not only that, but it’s based on OpenXR standards to allow developers to easily port their apps to Galaxy XR without any friction, ensuring scalability.

Android XR is designed to scale across many form factors, from headsets and XR devices to AI glasses and much more, and Galaxy XR benefits from the open ecosystem.

Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka reached end of life

This version of Ubuntu, which was released on October 2025, has reached its end of life period. Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka brought Linux 6.17, systemd 257.9, .NET 10.0, and various new versions of different packages. It’s a short term release that is supported for nine months, as opposed to long-term releases.

This means that the following will happen:

• Ubuntu 25.10 will no longer receive any new versions of packages.
• Security updates for different packages will also no longer be made for this version of Ubuntu.
• Official support will no longer cover this version of Ubuntu.

In order to continue receiving official support and new package updates, including security updates that will be distributed after July 2026, consult one of the upgrade paths, depending on the type of installation:

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon is supported for 15 years total, including 5 years of mainstream support, which will include point releases that will be unveiled in the future, such as v26.04.1, which is expected to arrive in the second half of this year. We recommend that you upgrade your systems using 25.10 to this version to continue receiving updates and official support.

Home Up now supports One UI 9.0!

We are being very close to the unveiling of One UI 9.0 as the Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event comes closer on July 22nd in London. This month will be full of excitement as Samsung is getting ready to unveil the newest foldables and the watches, along with their new features.

Home Up has been finally updated to support One UI 9.0! This is a major progress that was made this week to ensure that the beta version of One UI 9.0 continues even after the unveil to iron out the last of the bugs.

The new app version is under v18.0.00.24 (per Theordysm), and they run only on One UI 9.0 Beta for the Galaxy S26. It can be sideloaded on One UI 8.5, but stability and features there are not guaranteed. Once the stable version rolls out, this module will be available to all users who are using the official One UI 9.0 software.

To update your Good Lock modules, you can update them either from the Galaxy Store (Menu > Updates > Update All) or from the Good Lock application (Plugins > Update All) if there are any updates. Afterwards, the Good Lock modules that were mentioned should work flawlessly on One UI 9.0.

Home Up is a Good Lock module that allows you to customize your phone’s home screen to your taste. It also allows you to change your Recents screens appearance, Edge Panel settings, gesture settings, and much more.

July 2026 security patch is live for Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7

Samsung have revealed what vulnerabilities the July 2026 security patch has fixed earlier, as you can see here. The Galaxy S26 and the S25 phones have already entered the rollout of this security patch update, which brings the July 2026 security update that contains all fixes to vulnerabilities discovered since the last security patch released.

Samsung has started rolling out the July 2026 security patch to the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 series, as part of the monthly security update rollout, starting from Korea. You can see the below details of the update for more info as per Tarun Vats.

The following firmware information is found:

• SM-F968N: F968NKSS6BZG3 [KOO]
• SM-F966N: F966NKSSBBZG3 [KOO]
• SM-F766N: F766NKSSBBZG3 [KOO]
• SM-F761N: F761NKSSBBZG3 [KOO]

To update your Galaxy to this security update, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings, and navigate to System Update
2. Tap on Check for Updates
3. Press Download Now
4. Wait until the download is complete, then press Install Now
5. Wait until the phone installs the update successfully

Make sure that you’re connected to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network to avoid high mobile data fees. Never interrupt the update in any way, or problems could occur later. Make sure that you apply all available updates once you update your phone for maximum stability. An update might take 5 to 10 minutes to apply, depending on the device and the type of the update being applied.

If you’re seeing “Your software is up to date,” this means that the update hasn’t reached your device yet. Keep checking for updates, as Samsung rolls it out gradually to all devices from country to country, usually starting from Korea.

July 2026 security patch is live for Galaxy S26 and S25

Samsung have revealed what vulnerabilities the July 2026 security patch has fixed earlier, as you can see here. This kind of update ensures that your phone, your tablet, and other devices become more secure as updates come along. Those updates are rolled out staggered, depending on your region and your device model. For instance, while the Galaxy S26 gets monthly updates, the Galaxy Tab S11 gets quarterly security updates.

Samsung has started rolling out the July 2026 security patch to the Galaxy S26 and the S25 flagship series, as part of the monthly security update rollout, starting from Korea. You can see the below details of the update for more info (Source: [1, 2]).

This security patch has a size of almost 553.54 MB and 560.77 MB for both the Galaxy S26 and the S25 FE phones, respectively, and they bring the July 5th, 2026 security patch that you can see in the update info. This contains all fixes to vulnerabilities discovered since the last security patch released for these phones.

The following firmware information is found:

• SM-S948N: S948NKSS4AZG3 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-S947N: S947NKSS4AZG5 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-S942N: S942NKSS4AZG5 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-S938N: S938NKSSBCZG3 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-S936N: S936NKSSBCZG3 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]
• SM-S931N: S931NKSSBCZG3 [KOO, SKC, KTC, LUC]

To update your Galaxy to this security update, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings, and navigate to System Update
2. Tap on Check for Updates
3. Press Download Now
4. Wait until the download is complete, then press Install Now
5. Wait until the phone installs the update successfully

Make sure that you’re connected to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network to avoid high mobile data fees. Never interrupt the update in any way, or problems could occur later. Make sure that you apply all available updates once you update your phone for maximum stability. An update might take 5 to 10 minutes to apply, depending on the device and the type of the update being applied.

If you’re seeing “Your software is up to date,” this means that the update hasn’t reached your device yet. Keep checking for updates, as Samsung rolls it out gradually to all devices from country to country, usually starting from Korea.

One UI 9.0 will be the last update for 2023 Galaxy devices

Previously, One UI 8.5’s rollout has excluded all Galaxy devices that were released in 2022, including the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip4, and the Galaxy Tab S8 series. This means that users who are using these devices will only receive quarterly security patches that are based on One UI 8.0 instead of the One UI 8.5 update that was anticipated at the time.

Meanwhile, devices that have already received One UI 8.5 will probably receive the One UI 9.0 update, given that they are still supported, with the latest device receiving the update in the second half of this year being the Galaxy S26 flagship series, which was released in February of this year.

Given that the rollout strategy has changed, we expect that One UI 9.0 will be the last update that will land to the following Galaxy devices:

• Galaxy S23
• Galaxy S23+
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
• Galaxy S23 FE
• Galaxy Z Fold5
• Galaxy Z Flip5
• Galaxy Tab S9
• Galaxy Tab S9+
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S9 FE
• Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
• Galaxy A34
• Galaxy A54
• …and more devices released in 2023

The above devices will not be eligible for future OS generation upgrades after One UI 9.0 was released.

This version of One UI 9.0 provides several features, such as the Masking Tape feature in Samsung Notes and the enhanced quick panel that allows you to take it to the next level in your style with even more customization options.

Samsung sends invitations for the Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event

Samsung has started sending invitations for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event as announced in the official Samsung Newsroom. This is the event which is highly anticipated, and this sets out a very exciting experience coming forward, with new devices being unveiled, such as the newest foldables and smartwatches.

The company will host this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London, UK. This is the city that sets the trends, and this event will unveil the newest additions to the Galaxy portfolio that deliver more personal experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFbBXMVwvaY

This event will be streamed live on July 22nd, in the official Samsung website, the Samsung Newsroom, and the YouTube channel.

As this event is becoming closer, we will let you know about the exclusive promotions and teasers that Samsung makes ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event, as well as reminders to make sure that you are fully ready to experience what’s new.

Samsung updates the list of supported devices in July 2026 SMR!

Samsung has re-evaluated the supported devices list as of this month as of today, and you can see the updated list in full here. We have run a comparison of supported models, and the results are now in:

The following devices have been added to the list:

• Quarterly security patches
  • Galaxy A27 5G
  • Galaxy M47 5G

The above devices have been released recently, and this means that they’ll receive quarterly security updates to keep them more secure.

The following devices have been removed from the list:

• Quarterly security patches
  • Galaxy M13

This means that support for the Galaxy M13 has been removed and the device will no longer get security patches anymore. The last upgrade was made for the M13, which upgraded this phone to One UI 6.1 (XSG – July 29th, 2024).

The upcoming foldable series, the Z8 series, is expected to get monthly security patches, given the flagship nature of the device and the history of the Galaxy foldable series.

Galaxy Watch6 receives the July 2026 update

As if the Galaxy Watch8 and Watch7 receiving the One UI 8.0 Watch July 2026 security update isn’t enough, Samsung has begun distributing the Galaxy Watch6 update that upgrades your watch’s security. The July 2026 update begins its rollout from Korea, the US, India, and other countries.

This update is based on One UI 8.0 Watch, which was released last November.

The firmware build information for this update is found below:

• SM-R960: R960XXS2CZF5 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-R950: R950XXS2CZF5 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-R940: R940XXS2CZF5 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-R930: R930XXS2CZF5 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]

To obtain the update, follow these steps:

1. Open the Wearable app
2. Navigate to Watch settings > Watch software update
3. Tap on Download and Install
4. You should be able to see the update information. Verify the version with your device model posted above.
5. Click on Download, let it download, and click on Install. Make sure that you download the update through Wi-Fi.

This update should take a short time to install. Make sure that you have the watch charged fully before initiating the update process to avoid interruptions. Back up your data in case the update went wrong. Don’t interrupt the update process, or you’ll experience problems later.

Galaxy Watch8 and Watch7 receive the July 2026 update

Samsung has begun distributing the Galaxy Watch8 and Watch7 update that is released today, which will upgrade your watch’s security. The July 2026 update begins its rollout from Korea, the US, India, and other countries.

This update is based on One UI 8.0 Watch, which was released last November.

The firmware build information for this update is found below:

• SM-L330: L330XXS2AZF4 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-L320: L320XXS2AZF4 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-L310: L310XXS2BZF4 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]
• SM-L300: L300XXS2BZF4 [KOO, XAA, INS, …]

To obtain the update, follow these steps:

1. Open the Wearable app
2. Navigate to Watch settings > Watch software update
3. Tap on Download and Install
4. You should be able to see the update information. Verify the version with your device model posted above.
5. Click on Download, let it download, and click on Install. Make sure that you download the update through Wi-Fi.

This update should take a short time to install. Make sure that you have the watch charged fully before initiating the update process to avoid interruptions. Back up your data in case the update went wrong. Don’t interrupt the update process, or you’ll experience problems later.

One UI 9.0 Beta 4 will be released next week!

The One UI 9.0 beta program has started for users with the Galaxy S26 series devices in the following countries:

• Korea
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• India
• Poland

This version of One UI 9.0 provided several features, such as the Masking Tape feature in Samsung Notes and the enhanced quick panel that allows you to take it to the next level in your style with even more customization options.

Samsung has now officially announced that One UI 9.0 Beta 4 is scheduled to be available for those who have already joined the beta program with the Galaxy S26 in the above countries mentioned. The fourth beta version will be released between July 13th and July 16th, according to the announcement in the official Samsung Members forums.

The fourth beta version of One UI 9.0 will be released next week to fix some bugs and to incorporate general improvements across the whole operating system based on user feedback and internal evaluation. We’ll let you know if One UI 9.0 Beta 4 becomes available.

To update your Galaxy to One UI 9.0 Beta 4 once it gets released, first make sure that you are already in the beta program. Then, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings, and navigate to System Update
2. Tap on Check for Updates
3. Press Download and Install
4. Wait until the download and the installation is complete, then press Reboot Now
5. Wait until the phone reboots successfully

Make sure that you’re connected to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network to avoid high mobile data fees. Never interrupt the update in any way, or problems could occur later. Make sure that you apply all available updates once you update your phone for maximum stability. An update might take 10 to 20 minutes to apply, depending on the device and the type of the update being applied.

Linux 7.2 RC2 released!

After the release of Linux 7.1, which brought many features and improvements across different portions of the Linux kernel, such as hardware support and other improvements, an upcoming version of Linux is in the works.

Linux 7.2 RC2 is now live for developers and power users who are willing to try out a pre-release version of Linux that is yet to be released. All the interesting changes from performance improvements to bug fixes have been integrated to this release candidate, including, but not limited to:

• PCIe devices should not inadvertently reduce its speed to 2.5 GT/s
• Improved performance for AMD EPYC Sorano
• Added support for Wacom W9000 pen-enabled touchscreen
• Dropped ancient PROFIBUS driver ported from SCO Unix
• Bug fixes and minor improvements made to NTFS3 driver
• Startup overhead has been reduced for RISC-V
• USB4STREAM has been added to quickly send data between USB4 connected devices
• Preparations for NVIDIA Blackwell-Next devices
• Networking improvements and support for Wi-Fi 8 (UHR)
• Apple M3 systems can now boot to Linux 7.2
• AppleTalk protocol support has been dropped
• Various bug fixes and general improvements

The below announcement from Linus Torvalds in the mailing list says:

It's Sunday afternoon, and rc2 is out. Things look very normal - it's not a small rc2, but it's in line with recent releases, and slightly smaller than rc2 was in 7.1. Let's see how that all continues, but so far so good.

The diffstat looks normal too, with about half the patch being drivers - the usual suspects accounting for the bulk of it. The rest being spread all over (but mostly filesystems and networking).

The only slightly unusual thing is the header file split where mod_devicetable.h was split into multiple smaller per-subsystem device-id headers, which is how it should always have been done, but wasn't. It's a cleanup, but it also means that we have one fewer of those monster headers that causes almost everything to be recompiled if you touch it - even when the changes are relevant only to a few small files.

Anyway, that shows up in the diffstat, but is hopefully not really visible any other way as all the users hopefully got updates properly. Knock wood.

Shortlog appended for your pleasure - easy enough to scrool through to get a quick feel for the kinds of things that have been going on. Nothing really stands out..

Linux v7.2 will be the third version from the v7.x series that will be released after Linux 7.1, which will bring many improvements and additions to enhance your user experience.

Arch Linux and other distributions will be updated to utilize Linux 7.2 once it officially releases to the public, with rolling distros being updated first, then the subsequent distributions will utilize this version of Linux according to the distro’s release schedule. Meanwhile, keep checking for updates in your Linux distro (such as pacman -Syu as root in Arch Linux), or compile it from source.

Please note that, if you’re going to try out this pre-release version of Linux, be sure that it might contain more bugs than the final release, as it’s an experimental version not intended for production use. We advise you to back up all critical data before you utilize this version.

To download Linux 7.2’s source code, click on the below button:

Linux 7.2 RC2 is expected to release this week

This week, Linux 7.2 is expected to complete the release candidate cycle with the second release candidate being planned for tomorrow’s release. Linux 7.1 was receiving updates to implement bug fixes and other general improvements to different kernel components.

When the second release candidate gets released, you’ll be able to experience some of the changes made since the first release candidate:

• Linux 7.2 RC2 will raise the RISC-V CPU core limit to 256 cores from 64 cores. This impacts static memory allocations and slightly increases kernel memory consumption. This was done at the request of SpacemiT as the RVA23 RISC-V server has been produced, which utilizes 128 cores in the SG2042-based Sophgo Pisces CPU. This core limit increase is applied to 64-bit builds for the new firmware. This doesn’t apply to older firmware.
• The BPF code in the kernel has been hardened against JIT spraying attacks. This increases security, as the indirect branch predictors now get flushed before reusing the JIT code.
• Various improvements made to the second release candidate

Release candidate versions of Linux are available in the source code form, and you can build the kernel for your system so that you can try it out and report any bugs that manifest, especially with new hardware.

Linux 7.2 RC2 is expected to be released early Monday.