Ngemuva kokukhishwa kwe-kernel 4.16, isikhathi sokuguquka sesivuliwe sokwakhiwa kwenguqulo elandelayo. Lesi sikhathi soguquko noma iwindi lokuhlanganisa livaliwe futhi ngalo kukhishwe inguqulo ye-candidate ye-kernel 4.17. I-kernel elandelayo ezofika kumakhompyutha ethu kulo nyaka. Noma kunjalo, linus torvalds, umdali wayo nomholi wephrojekthi, akajabule ngezinombolo ezinenguqulo zakamuva ze-kernel futhi zingaguqulwa maduzane.Linux Torvalds isho nge uhlu lwamakheli yenhlamvu leyo ayifuni ukubikezela nokuthi inguqulo elandelayo ingaba yinguqulo yesi-5 noma mhlawumbe cha. Iqiniso ukuthi okwamanje kuzoba yinguqulo 4.17 ye-kernel, lapho kufinyelelwe khona enye ingqophamlando ngaphakathi kwendawo yokugcina yamaGit futhi lokho kuyinto ephawulekayo.
Kokunye, inguqulo entsha ye-kernel ayethuli noma yiziphi izindaba ezimnandi futhi iseyinguqulo yesondlo. Kule nguqulo, izimbungulu ezivele zilungisiwe namapulatifomu wehardware abengasasebenzi asusiwe. Uhlu lwamapulatifomu asusiwe yi- blackfin, cris, frv, m32r, metag, mn10300, score and tile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ipulatifomu ye-nds32 ingeziwe noma ibizwa nangokuthi ukwakhiwa kwe-RISC Andes Technology 32-0bit.
Ikhodi yale kernel isivele itholakala ku- kernel.orgNoma kunjalo, akunconywa ukuthi uyisebenzise ekukhiqizeni noma kumakhompyutha azinzile ngoba i-kernel ayizinzile. Kepha okugqame kakhulu ngamazwi kaLinus Torvalds, umholi wephrojekthi. Amagama ambalwa aqala ushintsho olukhulu ezinombolweni ze-kernel naku- Abathuthukisi abaningi abavumelana noLinus Torvalds, ngoba izinombolo zenguqulo azenzi mqondo njengokusetshenziswa njengegama lephakheji.