by George Whittaker Excitement in the open-source world is rising as the Linux kernel project moves toward the next major release: Linux kernel 7.0. While a major version number might sound like a dramatic overhaul, the reality is a lot more steady progress, and that’s part of what makes the Linux kernel so reliable and trusted. The first release candidate (RC1) for Linux 7.0 has already been published, and developers are entering the final stretch toward a stable release expected around mid-April 2026. An Evolution, Not a Revolution Linus Torvalds, the creator and lead maintainer of the Linux kernel, officially confirmed that the next version after Linux 6.19 will be dubbed Linux 7.0. In the announcement, he made clear that the jump to “7.0” isn’t tied to any monumental architectural upheaval, it’s a practical naming decision made partly to keep version numbers manageable. That tradition continues a long-standing pattern: kernel series are often numbered until they reach higher minor