Kernel 2.6.28: "Happy Holidays" from Torvalds

Dec 29, 2008

Marcel Hilzinger

Linus Torvalds has kept his promise and released Kernel 2.6.28 right at the Holidays. The little present shows some doings since Release Candidate 9, especially in the DVB-T area and for PCI hotplug devices.

In his announcement, Linus "almost Santa" Torvalds summarizes the small changes since RC9 and suggests that "all good boys and girls" should install the kernel as soon as they can. He says, "if your computer could smile, it would have a big silly grin on its non-existent face."

Kernel 2.6.28 brings notably better memory management. Among other important improvements is support for the ext4 successor to the ext3 filesystem. The evolved ext4 filesystem has long been part of the kernel, but finally graduated out of "in development" status. Completely new are support for Ultra Wide Band IP (UWB-IP) on wireless USB and the atl2 driver for Fast Ethernet devices from Atheros built into several Asus mainboards and netbooks.

Related content

Torvalds on Linux Kernel 2.6.28-rc1: More Drivers Than Ever

Linus Torvalds presents the first test candidate of Linux Kernel 2.6.28 on his mailing list.

more »
Kernel: Ext 4 Filesystem Moves Beyond Developer Status

Theodore Ts'o has renamed the Ext4 filesystem, for which he has been responsible for source and documentation, from extdev to ext4. Linus Torvalds has also incorporated the change into his personal source tree for the upcoming Kernel 2.6.28.

more »
Torvalds Releases Kernel 2.6.32

Having been delayed by the Kernel Summit and the Thanksgiving holidays, Linus Torvalds finally releases Kernel 2.6.32.

more »
Linus Releases 2.6.33-rc1

After releasing a new Kernel version, Linus Torvalds needed a few days of rest to put some remaining patches into the next release. The so-called merge window has closed, with the 2.6.33 branch now open.

more »
Initial Support for Rust in the Linux Kernel Is Finally Released

The 6.1 LTS version of the Linux kernel, which includes initial support for Rust, has been made available for general usage.

more »

comments powered by Disqus

Issue 269/2023

Buy this issue as a PDF

Digital Issue: Price $12.99

(incl. VAT)

Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs

News

Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop

Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop

MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled

If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available

The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store

If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27

The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs

The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak

In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available

The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.
Linux Kernel 6.2 Released with New Hardware Support

Find out what's new in the most recent release from Linus Torvalds and the Linux kernel team.