Linux 7.4 Kernel Merges NVMe Support for Apple M4 and Floppy Driver Patches
Published: 2026-10-25 · Author: AI Release · @ai_release1
⚡ The 5-Second Summary - Linux 7.4 has merged a batch of block/storage and IO_uring changes — right in the middle of the merge window. - The range of edits is wide: from floppy driver fixes to NVMe support on Apple M4. - The code is already in the mainline branch, but it still has to pass tests before the stable kernel release. ### 🔍 What Was Found The batch of block/storage and IO_uring changes for Linux 7.4 has been merged into the mainline code as part of the ongoing merge window. Phoronix reports this, citing a pull request. The spread of changes reflects the breadth of the kernel's hardware support: a single pull request contains both floppy driver fixes and NVMe support for the Apple M4 platform. ### 💡 Why It Matters NVMe support on Apple M4 paves the way for working with storage devices on Apple Silicon hardware without third-party patches — a direct interest for those running Linux on a Mac. The floppy driver fixes may look like an anachronism, but they show that the kernel doesn't abandon even ancient hardware. The block subsystem and IO_uring are the foundation for filesystems and disk I/O, so their updates affect everyone, from servers to embedded platforms. The source doesn't specify when the changes will reach a stable release — for now, this is mainline code in the merge window stage.
⚡ The 5-Second Summary - Linux 7.4 has merged a batch of block/storage and IO_uring changes — right in the middle of the merge window.
- The range of edits is wide: from floppy driver fixes to NVMe support on Apple M4.
- The code is already in the mainline branch, but it still has to pass tests before the stable kernel release.
🔍 What Was Found The batch of block/storage and IO_uring changes for Linux 7.4 has been merged into the mainline code as part of the ongoing merge window.
Phoronix reports this, citing a pull request.
The spread of changes reflects the breadth of the kernel's hardware support: a single pull request contains both floppy driver fixes and NVMe support for the Apple M4 platform.
💡 Why It Matters NVMe support on Apple M4 paves the way for working with storage devices on Apple Silicon hardware without third-party patches — a direct interest for those running Linux on a Mac.
The floppy driver fixes may look like an anachronism, but they show that the kernel doesn't abandon even ancient hardware.