Linux 6.19-rc5: NVIDIA GPU Recovery, Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Support, and RISC-V Security Hardening

The Linux kernel development cycle has resumed normal pace after the holiday break, with Linus Torvalds releasing 6.19-rc5 today. This candidate addresses several high-profile issues that have emerged during the 6.19 merge window, particularly focusing on graphics driver stability and peripheral support.

NVIDIA Nouveau Driver Recovery

One of the most significant fixes in this release addresses recent breakage affecting newer NVIDIA GPUs using the open-source Nouveau driver. The issue appears to have been introduced during the 6.19 development cycle, potentially causing problems for users running recent NVIDIA hardware with the open-source stack. While specific GPU generations aren't detailed in the announcement, this fix likely targets the latest RTX 40-series or upcoming 50-series cards that rely on Nouveau for basic display functionality before proprietary driver loading.

The Nouveau driver has historically faced challenges keeping pace with NVIDIA's rapid hardware releases, making this fix crucial for Linux users who prefer open-source drivers or need basic display support before installing proprietary drivers.

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Gets HID++ Treatment

Beyond crisis fixes, 6.19-rc5 adds notable feature support for peripherals. The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S now receives proper HID++ protocol support, enabling:

• High-resolution scrolling for precision navigation
• Additional button functionality mapping
• Enhanced gesture controls
• Better battery status reporting

This addition, combined with support for the ELECOM M-XT3DRBK (018C) mouse, demonstrates the kernel's ongoing commitment to peripheral compatibility. HID++ is Logitech's proprietary extension to the standard HID protocol that enables advanced features beyond basic mouse movement and clicking.

Security Hardening Across Architectures

The kernel continues its security hardening efforts with a fix addressing another possible attack vector on RISC-V. This follows similar security improvements already implemented for ARM64 and x86_64 architectures, showing the kernel community's unified approach to system security regardless of CPU architecture.

RISC-V support has been steadily maturing in the Linux kernel, and these security patches represent the architecture being treated as a first-class citizen alongside established platforms.

Rust Binder Issue Resolution

The 6.19 cycle continues to refine the kernel's Rust infrastructure with a fix for a Rust Binder issue. Binder is Android's inter-process communication mechanism, and its Rust implementation represents one of the early real-world applications of Rust in the Linux kernel. These fixes are crucial as the kernel community explores Rust for driver development and subsystems where memory safety is paramount.

Development Cycle Context

Linus Torvalds noted the release's normalcy: "Normal release, a couple of hours later than usual, but nothing particularly odd going on the past week. As expected, we're pretty much back to a normal schedule after the holidays, and the stats look very regular, both in number of commits and in the patch."

He further explained the patch distribution: "Drivers dominate (being about two thirds of the rc patch), and gpu and networking are the major part of that. As is tradition. There's some other driver updates too, but nothing that looks odd. Outside of drivers it's the usual suspects: various filesystem fixes (btrfs, nfsd, minor erofs fix and some generic vfs fixes), tooling (mostly seltfests, and most of those are part of the networking and gpu pulls), and some architecture fixes (arm64 and risc-v)."

Release Timeline

Due to holiday disruptions, the 6.19 cycle will likely require an extra release candidate. The stable Linux 6.19 release is now expected on February 8, 2026. This extended timeline allows for thorough testing of the numerous features and fixes that have landed during this development cycle.

What's Coming in Linux 6.19

Beyond the fixes in -rc5, the 6.19 release promises significant improvements across the board. Early reports indicate enhanced support for newer hardware, improved filesystem performance, and continued evolution of the kernel's networking stack. The release represents the first major kernel update of 2026 and will likely form the basis for numerous distribution updates throughout the year.

For users experiencing issues with NVIDIA hardware or looking to maximize their Logitech MX Anywhere 3S capabilities on Linux, upgrading to 6.19 once it stabilizes will be essential. The -rc5 release is available now for testing via the kernel.org repository.