OpenZFS 2.4.1 Released With Linux 6.19 Compatibility, Many Fixes

OpenZFS 2.4.1 was released overnight, bringing full support for the Linux 6.19 stable kernel series while maintaining compatibility with Linux 4.18 and newer. The point release also continues FreeBSD support for version 13.3 and later, ensuring broad platform compatibility across the open-source storage ecosystem.

The release addresses several critical issues, including fixes for RISC-V and PowerPC architectures on Linux 6.18, which had been causing compatibility problems for users on these platforms. These architecture-specific fixes demonstrate OpenZFS's commitment to supporting diverse hardware environments beyond the mainstream x86 ecosystem.

Storage management improvements in this release include fixes to available space accounting for special and deduplication datasets. This enhancement is particularly important for administrators who rely on accurate capacity reporting when managing storage pools with compression and deduplication enabled. The accounting fixes should provide more reliable information about actual usable space, preventing unexpected capacity issues.

Development tool support has also been enhanced with improvements to zhack, the ZFS on Linux development and testing tool. These enhancements should streamline the development workflow for contributors and maintainers working on the ZFS codebase.

On the FreeBSD side, the release includes various platform-specific fixes that address stability and compatibility issues unique to the BSD environment. These FreeBSD-specific improvements ensure consistent behavior across both major supported operating systems.

The OpenZFS utilities have been expanded with new sub-commands, providing administrators with additional tools for managing and monitoring their storage systems. These additions reflect ongoing efforts to make the OpenZFS toolset more comprehensive and user-friendly.

Performance optimizations include improved timing for async destroy processing, which should result in more efficient cleanup operations when removing datasets or snapshots. Additionally, parallel eviction batching in the ARC (Adaptive Replacement Cache) has been increased, potentially improving memory management performance under heavy load conditions.

For those interested in the technical details, the full changelog and source code are available on GitHub. The release represents the steady evolution of OpenZFS, balancing new feature development with critical bug fixes and performance improvements.