Embedded Linux Digest — Week 38, 2026
Linux Kernel and System Software
This week’s kernel and system software news covered performance benchmarking, platform cleanup, and utility releases. Phoronix tested the in-development Linux 7.3 on Intel Panther Lake and Framework hardware, while the kernel is on track to shed a large number of old ARM 32-bit drivers. GNU coreutils 9.12 also landed with a range of improvements, and a look at PostgreSQL development activity provided useful stats for the wider Linux ecosystem.
- Linux 7.3 Delivering Some Performance Gains On Intel Panther Lake / Framework Laptop 13 Pro (Source: Phoronix)
- Removing Drivers For Outdated ARM Platforms Will Lighten The Kernel By ~247k Lines (Source: Phoronix)
- GNU Core Utilities 9.12 released (Source: LWN.net)
- Vondra: PostgreSQL development activity (Source: LWN.net)
Embedded Hardware and Platforms
A variety of new embedded hardware and design guidance appeared this week. Alif Semi introduced StartKits for its Cortex-M55/Ethos-U55 MCUs, MSI detailed a fanless Jetson Orin Nano industrial PC, and articles on SWaP-optimized UAV compute and mil/aero system design offered practical insights. Power electronics also got attention with a 140-W USB-C GaN reference platform from Eggtronic and Renesas.
- Alif Semi Balletto B1 and Ensemble E1C StartKits feature Cortex-M55 + Ethos-U55 MCU for IoT and Edge AI (Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News)
- Fanless industrial PC integrates Jetson Orin Nano 8GB and M.2 expansion (Source: LinuxGizmos.com)
- Designing SWaP-Optimized Compute for UAVs (Source: Embedded)
- ESD eBook September/October 2026: Rethinking Mil/Aero System Design (Source: Embedded)
- Eggtronic, Renesas Target 140-W USB-C Chargers with GaN (Source: Embedded)
Security and Networking
Security updates and networking development featured prominently. Debian and Fedora shipped patches, a long-standing Rustls vulnerability was finally fixed, and wolfSSL announced a webinar on porting its wolfIP TCP/IP stack to RTOS environments.
- Security updates for Tuesday (Source: LWN.net)
- Rustls 0.23.45 Released To Fix Two Year Old Security Issue (Source: Phoronix)
- wolfSSL webinar explores wolfIP network driver and RTOS integration (Source: LinuxGizmos.com)
Design Tools and Prototyping
For engineers working on hardware, a sponsored piece highlighted a KiCad plugin from AIVON that aims to speed up PCB prototyping by allowing direct quote generation from the design tool.
- Design in KiCad, Quote with AIVON: A Faster Path to PCB Prototyping (Sponsored) (Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News)