On October 18, 2026, Phoronix reported that stable Linux 7.3 had been released. A kernel.org listing identified Linux 7.2.11 as the latest stable release and Linux 7.3-rc7 as mainline, where a release candidate is still in development.
Changes reported for Linux 7.3
Phoronix described faster I/O on modern systems, preparation for AMD Zen 6, changes for older AMD GPUs, video-memory management for systems with limited VRAM, and kernel-driver support for the 2026 Steam Controller. The report also covered late-cycle fixes, including workarounds for Samsung 990 PRO and Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSDs on selected firmware versions that misreported capabilities, plus fixes for rare SMP boot hangs traced to 2024. Phoronix's release report attributes these changes to the Linux 7.3 release.
DiarioBitcoin also reported Btrfs improvements and a driver for MSI Claw involving Valve. It described Linux support for Apple M3 Pro, M3 Max and M3 Ultra as early bring-up, not ready for end users, and said support for the base Apple M3 arrived in Linux 7.2. For distribution-level context, NeoTeo has also covered Fedora 45 Beta.
