The Linux kernel development team has merged a series of updates for the PCI/PCIe subsystem into the upcoming Linux 7.4 kernel. These changes focus on improving system reliability, hardware compatibility, and power management during sleep and wake cycles.
A key improvement involves the system's power management behavior during sleep recovery. By aligning these processes with specific energy efficiency certification requirements, the update assists laptops and pre-installed Linux systems in meeting industry standards.
The update also addresses device enumeration and configuration. It fixes issues with PCIe link speed settings on SPARC64 and PowerPC systems and corrects a state-saving bug related to the Maximum Payload Size (MPS) management to ensure consistent device configuration.
Error handling has been refined, specifically within the Advanced Error Reporting (AER) mechanism. The kernel now prevents memory leaks during error recovery and avoids unnecessary recovery attempts for false alarms, which enhances stability for servers and workstations.
Additionally, the update streamlines ownership checks for PCIe port functions. By centralizing these checks, the kernel reduces redundant operations and potential configuration errors, providing a more consistent approach to managing hardware control.
