The Many New Features & Improvements Of The Linux 4.5 Kernel Written by Michael Larabel in Software on 24 January 2016 at 12:30 AM EST. Page 1 of 3. 17 Comments. With Linux 4.5-rc1 expected for release today that will mark the end of this cycle's merge window, here is a look at the new features and improved functionality present for this major Linux kernel release that will then be officially chri