IPFire, a free, open-source Linux-based hardened firewall designed to be deployed as a dedicated firewall/router system for protecting network environments, has issued IPFire 2.29 – Core Update 196.
In this release, the kernel has been updated to Linux 6.12.34, which provides improved hardware support, security patches, and overall smoother operation. Plus, the team bumped GCC, the core compiler, to version 15.
Moreover, IPFire has leaned hard into WireGuard for the last couple of cycles, and Core 196 improves things even further:
- Per-device kernel threads – Each WireGuard interface now spins up its own kernel thread, meaning multi-core boxes can finally stretch their legs instead of piling all tunnel processing onto a single CPU.
- Dashboard visibility – Active tunnels now surface right on the web UI’s main screen, saving you a click whenever you need a quick health check.
- Throughput boost – Engineers cherry-picked Generic Segmentation Offload improvements from the upcoming Linux 6.13 tree, essentially letting the kernel juggle bigger packets before handing them off to the NIC.
It’s also worth noting that the text console has been ported to the Linux Direct Rendering Manager stack, allowing fresh installs to automatically detect high-resolution modes—such as Full HD, 4K, and beyond.
As a result, text now looks sharper, virtual-terminal switches feel smoother, and multi-GPU boxes behave far better. Existing installations retain the legacy path by default (no surprise, the project aims to avoid disabling remote-only appliances), but new ISOs ride the modern graphics train from day one.
Lastly, Core 196 updates or replaces roughly 80 user-space components. Highlights include cURL 8.14.1, Squid 6.14, Ruby 3.4.4, Vim 9.1.1406, and zlib-ng 2.2.4. On the add-on side, admins will see ClamAV 1.4.3, Git 2.50.0, Tor 0.4.8.16, plus a brand-new “FORT Validator” package for checking BGP RPKI data.
For more information, see the announcement.
Core Update 196 is already available for download on IPFire’s website. Two build flavours cover the most common hardware: x86_64 and aarch64 for those needing a fresh install. Existing systems can be upgraded via IPFire’s web UI or the pakfire update command.
