Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development
    • Servers

    Linux 5.1 Advances Performance and Security With New Features

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    May 6, 2019
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Linus Torvalds LA

      Linus Torvalds released the Linux 5.1 kernel update on May 5, providing users of the open-source operating system with new features that will help to improve performance, stability and security.

      The Linux kernel is at the core of any Linux-based operating system, providing drivers, CPU, storage, networking and memory enablement. In Linux 5.1, performance is enhanced via a new asynchronous I/O interface, as well as the ability to better use persistent memory as RAM. Security gets a boost in Linux 5.1 with the SafeSetID Linux Security Module (LSM). 

      “On the whole, 5.1 looks very normal with just over 13k commits (plus another 1k+ if you count merges, which is pretty much our normal size these days,” Torvalds wrote in his 5.1 kernel release announcement. “No way to boil that down to a sane shortlog, with work all over.”

      The 5.1 kernel is the second major Linux kernel release of 2019 and follows the release of the Linux 5.0 kernel that became available on March 3.

      Security

      Among the many different security capabilities that are integrated into Linux is the concept of the Linux Security Module (LSM). Two of the most well known LSMs are SELinux, which is commonly found in Red Hat based systems and AppArmor which is used by Ubuntu and its’ derivatives.

      In Linux 5.1, the SafeSetID LSM module is being added, providing yet another option for Linux administrators to provide security and policy controls.

      “SafeSetID gates the setid family of syscalls to restrict UID/GID transitions from a given UID/GID to only those approved by a system-wide whitelist,” Linux developer Micah Morton wrote in his kernel commit message. “These restrictions also prohibit the given UIDs/GIDs from obtaining auxiliary privileges associated with CAP_SET{U/G}ID, such as allowing a user to set up user namespace UID mappings.”

      User ID (UID) and Group ID (GID) are ways to identify users and groups within a Linux system and are the basic units of identification and control used for SafeSetID.

      Persistent Memory

      Linux has long enabled regular storage devices including hard drives to be used for limited forms of memory usage, including swap space. With Linux 5.1, administrators will now be able to more fully use storage, and specifically a class of storage now often referred to as “persistent memory” as regular system memory.

      “This is intended for use with NVDIMMs that are physically persistent (physically like flash) so that they can be used as a cost-effective RAM replacement,” Linux developer Dave Hansen wrote in his kernel commit message. “Intel Optane DC persistent memory is one implementation of this kind of NVDIMM.”

      Live Patching Improvements

      Linux has integrated live patching capabilities since the Linux 4.0 release in April 2015. Live patching enables a running system to be patched without the need for a full system reboot. With Linux 5.1 a new capability is being added to live patching, that is called Atomic Replace.

      “It (Atomic Replace) allows creation of so called “Cumulative Patches”,” the Linux kernel documentation on the new feature states. “They include all wanted changes from all older livepatches and completely replace them in one transition.”

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×