Linux kernel developers have announced the transition to the Linux-Next branch for the production of version 6.12. These changes are necessary for the incorporation of the Preempt_RT option, which enables real-time operations. Once these changes are implemented in the main kernel batch, the Preempt_RT mode will be available for X86, ARM64, and RISC-V architectures. Subsequently, support for ARM and PowerPC architectures will be added, although not all patches have been transferred to the core yet.
The development of real-time capabilities for the Linux kernel has been ongoing since 2005 under the “realtime-preempt” project, overseen by the Linux Foundation since 2015. Previously, the Preempt_RT mode was available as external patches. Some distributions like Red Hat, SUSE, and Ubuntu have created separate Realtime editions based on these patches, catering to sectors like finance, sound processing, aviation, medicine, robotics, telecommunications, and industrial systems requiring precise event timing.
In 2019, efforts began to integrate the Preempt_RT patches into the main kernel. While the option was added to the kernel configuration file to enable real-time mode, the full integration of necessary changes has taken five years. The completion of this process is now in sight, and version 6.12 is likely to be assembled with Preempt_RT mode without requiring additional patches.