The latest build of the Linux operating system is here at last

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Latest Linux 5.9 build gets OK'd by Linus Torvalds

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The immediate future of open-source software is here for now after Linux 5.9 was declared stable.

The news came directly from the man behind the platform, as Linus Torvalds wrote in a blog post that the new version was ready.

"I had hoped for quite a bit fewer changes this last week, but at the same time there doesn't really seem to be anything particularly scary in here," Torvalds wrote in his release notes. "It's just more commits and more lines changed than I would have wished for."

Linux 5.9

By Torvalds' own admision, Linux 5.9 doesn't feature any particularly striking changes or upgrades. The update brings a number of networking fixes, including some standalone drivers, and the reinstatement of the fbdev amba-clcd driver.

"There's just a bit more of those kinds of tiny details than there should be fo(r) this kind of last delayed week. But since nothing in there gives me any particular reason to delay another week, here we are," Torvalds added.

The launch comes as Linux usage appears to be falling across the world when compared to Microsoft's Windows juggernaut. According to the latest data from NetMarketShare, Linux devices made up just 1.14% of installs on all laptops and desktop PC devices in September 2020 -  a sharp drop from the previous month, which had recorded a 2.23% market share for Linux in August 2020 - a decrease of nearly 50%. 

This is despite a number of high-profile new hardware releases in the last few weeks that support Linux, including a new range of Linux-ready laptops and business computers from Lenovo, with almost 30 new laptop and PC models revealed by the world's largest PC maker.

However, the global move towards home working may mean that enterprise users such as developers and programmers have had to shift away from the office set-ups towards more "traditional" computing devices.

Via The Register

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Mike Moore
Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.