CIQ introduces the CIQ Linux Kernel, built to unlock the full performance of modern AI hardware in enterprise production

As enterprises deploy the latest GPUs, accelerators and next-generation silicon, CLK enables full capability of the latest hardware, performance improvements and improved CVE coverage to enterprise production environments

RENO, Nev., March 5, 2026 — CIQ, the founding support and services partner of Rocky Linux, today announced the CIQ Linux Kernel (CLK), an enterprise-grade Linux kernel built directly on the upstream Long Term (LT) kernels maintained at kernel.org. CLK tracks upstream Long Term branches, and delivers continuous hardware enablement, performance optimizations and security fixes to enterprise production environments, so organizations get the full performance and capability from the AI infrastructure they are deploying.

Today's most advanced GPUs, accelerators and next-generation silicon are built, community validated, and optimized with the latest kernels. As enterprises scale AI and HPC infrastructure, the gap between the hardware arriving in their data centers and the kernel running in production translates directly into unrealized performance, delayed deployments and unaddressed security vulnerabilities. CLK closes that gap by continuously tracking upstream Long Term kernel branches, bringing the latest hardware support, performance optimizations and CVE fixes to Enterprise Linux without disrupting the application compatibility and stability production environments require.

"AI is driving the most significant infrastructure cycle in a generation, and the kernel is where that investment is either realized or wasted," said Gregory Kurtzer, CEO of CIQ and Founder of Rocky Linux. "CLK aligns the latest upstream long term kernel innovations with the stability and lifecycle enterprises require. It ensures customers can fully leverage modern hardware without sacrificing operational control. CLK is the foundation of RLC Pro AI and the mechanism through which we deliver consistent, predictable performance at scale."

CLK is currently based on Linux 6.12 LT, with 6.18 LT support in active development. Upstream Long Term branches receive a well-validated and substantial set of patches from the broader kernel community, covering security fixes, hardware enablements, performance improvements and driver updates, making them the trusted, stable foundation for the enterprise. As Greg Kroah-Hartman, maintainer of the upstream stable and long-term kernels, has stated: "If you are not using the latest stable / longterm kernel, your system is insecure." CLK delivers that foundation, with the enterprise support and stability guarantees professional IT organizations require.

CLK delivers advantages across every dimension of enterprise kernel deployment:

• Current hardware enablement: New CPUs, GPUs, and network adapters from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and ARM-ecosystem vendors are enabled in CLK as they reach the upstream Long Term kernel. This reduces time-to-production and ensures hardware runs at its full capability.
• Continuous performance gains: Scheduler advancements, including EEVDF (Earliest Eligible Virtual Deadline First), improved CPU topology awareness and real-time scheduling enhancements, deliver measurable throughput and latency improvements for AI, HPC and enterprise workloads.
• Energy efficiency: Improvements such as adaptive network polling, introduced in kernel 6.13, reduce CPU energy consumption by up to 30% in high-throughput network environments, translating directly to reduced operational costs at scale.
• Improved CVE coverage: Every CVE fix from the LT branches is included in CLK. When a CVE is fixed upstream, it is fixed in CLK.
• Emerging technology support: Features such as io_uring, eBPF, memory tiering (CXL/HBM) and confidential computing extensions (TDX, SEV-SNP) reach CLK users in production-ready form as they are stabilized upstream.
• Rocky Linux userspace compatibility: Applications certified for Rocky Linux run unmodified. Only the kernel changes.

CIQ engineers contribute directly to the upstream Linux kernel community with bug reports, fixes, and improvements. Issues CLK customers discover are resolved at the source, upstream, and benefit the broader ecosystem. CIQ provides multi-year long-term support for CLK releases, aligned with upstream LT designations.

CLK is the kernel inside RLC Pro AI, the first product in the RLC Pro portfolio to ship with CLK, launching in the coming weeks. To learn more about CLK and the RLC Pro portfolio, visit ciq.com or contact info@ciq.com.