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.
"The changes in -rc1 are (as usual) too many to really enumerate, with the bulk of them being - again as usual - drivers," writes Torvalds in the gmane.linux.kernel newsgroup. Having merged the drivers from the staging tree makes this "doubly true." Nearly half the merged drivers are in the staging tree that Greg Kroah-Hartman created back in June 2008. This tree was to hold drivers and other additions to the Linux kernel that were not quite ready to be merged. Developers can adopt the staging tree at new kernel installation, with the caveat that the drivers might be something less than stable.
Torvalds presents further statistics for those who appreciate them. The kernel involved 7,141 non-merge commits, 419 of them merges to separate developer source code archives. Each change removed on average 39 lines and added 104 lines of code. About 880 authors contributed, of which 183 had 10 or more commits and 340 had just one commit. Linux users lagging behind on updates can take an example from Kroah-Hartman, who just recently committed a fix made in April 2002. With a twinkle in his eye, Torvalds presents Kroah-Hartman with the "most screwed-up clock award": "it's a fix to a driver that was merged this July!"
Linux Kernel 2.6.28-rc1 is available for download here. Torvalds wishes everyone fun in testing, "and report any interesting anomalies you find."
Issue 243/2021
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Another New Linux Laptop has Arrived
Slimbook has released a monster of a Linux gaming laptop.
-
Mozilla VPN Now Available for Linux
The promised subscription-based VPN service from Mozilla is now available for the Linux platform.
-
Wayland and New App Menu Coming to KDE
The 2021 roadmap for the KDE desktop environment includes some exciting features and improvements.
-
Deepin 20.1 has Arrived
Debian-based Deepin 20.1 has been released with some interesting new features.
-
CloudLinux Commits Over 1 Million Dollars to CentOS Replacement
An open source, drop-in replacement for CentOS is on its way.
-
Linux Mint 20.1 Beta has Been Released
The first beta of Linux Mint, Ulyssa, is now available for downloading.
-
Manjaro Linux 20.2 has Been Unleashed
The latest iteration of Manjaro Linux has been released with a few interesting new features.
-
Patreon Project Looks to Bring Linux to Apple Silicon
Developer Hector Martin has created a patreon page to fund his work on developing a port of Linux for Apple Silicon Macs.
-
A New Chrome OS-Like Ubuntu Remix is Now Available
Ubuntu Web looks to be your Chrome OS alternative.
-
System76 Refreshes the Galago Pro Laptop
Linux hardware maker has revamped one of their most popular laptops.