Going through my usual scanning of all the “-next” Git subsystem branches of new code set to be introduced for the next Linux kernel merge window, a very notable addition was just queued up… Linux 6.10 is set to merge the NTSYNC driver for emulating the Microsoft Windows NT synchronization primitives within the kernel for allowing better performance with Valve’s Steam Play (Proton) and Wine of Windows games and other apps on Linux.

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
      13·
      7 months ago

      why? i feel things are stabilizing and we are seeing incremental improvement instead of sweeping change now.

    • dosse91@lemmy.trippy.pizza
      1·
      7 months ago

      Nah mate, 2022 was when it started getting really good, GPL got rid of shader compilation stuttering (as well as dxvk-async related glitches), compatibility improved massively with improvements to both dxvk and vkd3d, and ray tracing finally started working

  • LeFantome@programming.dev
    261·
    7 months ago

    In addition to being useful for gamers, these are probably about to be the least likely to change APIs in the kernel.

  • pastermil
    11·
    7 months ago

    I was wondering if this can be used outside of Windows context.

    Edit: I’m asking specifically for Linux context.

      • pastermil
        1·
        7 months ago

        Why not? Would you rather that we have a Windows-exclusive subsystem in our kernel?

        • uis@lemm.ee
          61·
          7 months ago

          1. Kernel devs then would want to make it stable API. I don’t want Windows API being stable part of kernel.

          2. It mostly implements racy stuff like pulsing event.

          3. There is already known subsystem that does not have stable API because it is used by only one project - DRI.

      • pastermil
        3·
        7 months ago

        How does that have to do with the sync primitive?

        • ProgrammingSocks@pawb.social
          21·
          7 months ago

          Since it’s a new feature, would it not cause incompatibility for any kernel versions before it was added (for any software that used it)?

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    111·
    7 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Going through my usual scanning of all the “-next” Git subsystem branches of new code set to be introduced for the next Linux kernel merge window, a very notable addition was just queued up… Linux 6.10 is set to merge the NTSYNC driver for emulating the Microsoft Windows NT synchronization primitives within the kernel for allowing better performance with Valve’s Steam Play (Proton) and Wine of Windows games and other apps on Linux.

    The past several months has seen much work on the NTSYNC kernel driver for allowing better Wine (Windows) gaming/app performance on Linux.

    "ntsync uses a misc device as the simplest and least intrusive uAPI interface.

    It was very exciting to see this morning that Greg Kroah-Hartman has queued the NTSYNC patches into char/misc’s char-misc-next branch.

    With the patches now residing there, they will be submitted for the Linux 6.10 merge window opening up in May and then debuting as stable this summer – barring any last minute issues or objections raised by Linus Torvalds.

    Very exciting year for Linux gamers with NTSYNC going mainline, ongoing work around HDR and other display improvements, and all of the Wayland advancements being made, among the usual Linux hardware support advancements and other common kernel milestones being seen in 2024.

    The original article contains 345 words, the summary contains 209 words. Saved 39%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

      • dan@upvote.au
        3·
        7 months ago

        I remember running FL Studio using WINE 15 years ago and it worked fine.

        • dyc3@lemmy.world
          2·
          7 months ago

          Vsts are a bit of a gamble. Serum’s UI is bit buggy, and Massive works flawlessly. I don’t really have many vsts to test though. Idk what loopcloud is.