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RTL8723BS Driver Continues Dominating Staging Area Activity for Linux 7.3

RTL8723BS driver remains in Linux kernel's staging area after nine years, with frequent clean-ups and improvements.

By Michael Larabel·Aug 30·phoronix.com·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

RTL8723BS Driver Continues Dominating Staging Area Activity for Linux 7.3
Image: phoronix.com

RTL8723BS WiFi and Bluetooth driver continues to be a focus for clean-ups in Linux 7.3, with nearly a decade of ongoing work.

Why it matters

The RTL8723BS driver's persistence in the staging area highlights the ongoing challenges in kernel development and the need for continued improvements.

The RTL8723BS driver is a WiFi and Bluetooth thing that's been in the Linux computer's not-yet-final area for a long time. People are still fixing it and making it better.

Analysis

{"heading":"The RTL8723BS Driver's Journey in Linux 7.3","paragraphs":["The RTL8723BS driver, an 802.11 b/g/n SDIO-based WiFi and Bluetooth driver, has been in the Linux kernel's staging area since 2017, when it was upstreamed for Linux 4.12.","Despite nine years of being in the staging area, the driver continues to be a frequent target for clean-ups and code improvements, as evidenced by the Linux 7.3 staging changes.","In Linux 7.3, the RTL8723BS driver dominated the staging area activity, with a majority of the changes focusing on coding style and refactoring, as well as addressing other issues with the driver."]}

Key points

  • RTL8723BS driver has been in the Linux kernel's staging area for nine years
  • Driver remains a frequent target for clean-ups and improvements
  • RTL8723BS driver dominated staging area activity in Linux 7.3
  • Driver continues to be a focus for clean-ups and improvements
The Upside

With continued clean-ups and improvements, the RTL8723BS driver may eventually move out of the not-yet-final area and into the main area of the Linux computer.

The Downside

If the RTL8723BS driver doesn't get cleaned up and improved, it might stay in the not-yet-final area for a long time.

Originally reported at

phoronix.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsopen-sourcelinux-kernelhardwaredrivers

Author

Michael Larabel

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Aug 30, 2026

Source

phoronix.com

Share

Topics

open-sourcelinux-kernelhardwaredrivers

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