Linux 7.2 To Raise LLVM/Clang Compiler Requirement, Add Support For Distributed ThinLTO
Linux kernel version 7.2 will increase the minimum LLVM/Clang version required for building the kernel to Clang 17. The release also introduces support for LLVM's Distributed ThinLTO mode to accelerate compilation. Additional Kbuild updates include Kconfig hardening, typo fixes, and a new kconfig-sym-check target.
- ▪The build requirement is raised from Clang 15 to Clang 17 to align with GCC capabilities and resolve scope‑checker and const‑static_assert issues.
- ▪Distributed ThinLTO support is added, allowing faster kernel builds compared to in‑process ThinLTO.
- ▪Kconfig is hardened against potential null‑pointer dereferences and various typographical errors are corrected.
- ▪A new kconfig-sym-check target is provided to detect dangling Kconfig symbol references.
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Linux 7.2 To Raise LLVM/Clang Compiler Requirement, Add Support For Distributed ThinLTO Written by Michael Larabel in Linux Kernel on 14 June 2026 at 08:33 PM EDT. Add A Comment Among the early pull requests sent in prior to today's Linux 7.1 release of new material aiming for Linux 7.2 were all the Kbuild updates. For those compiling the Linux kernel using LLVM/Clang rather than GCC, one of the most notable Kbuild changes for Linux 7.2 is the raising of the build requirements. Up to now the Linux kernel could be built with Clang 15 and newer but that is being raised to Clang 17 and newer. The requirement was raised to Clang 17 to better match the capabilities of the GCC compiler.
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