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."
Related content
-
Kroah-Hartman: Remove Hyper-V Driver from Kernel?
Microsoft caused a sensation with its release of its Hyper-V virtualization driver -- now its inclusion in the Linux kernel could be in doubt.
-
Linux 2.6.25 without Closed Source USB Drivers
A controversial patch for the imminent kernel 2.6.25 is causing much debate in the developer community: in a similar move to one he made two years ago, the well-known kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman has submitted a patch that prevents closed source USB drivers from using the kernel's USB driver API.
-
Greg's Kernel Report: Android Drivers to Be Dropped, Same Possible Fate for Microsoft Hyper-V
Kernel developer and Novell coworker Greg Kroah-Hartman manages new drivers in a separate tree for the Linux drivers project. He most recently reported that a few projects will have to depart from Kernel 2.6.33, among them also Google.
-
Microsoft to Add Hyper-V Drivers to Linux Kernel
What seemed impossible years ago could now become a reality: a Linux driver from Microsoft in the kernel.
-
Video: Android and Linux Kernel
At FOSDEM 2010 in Brussels, Linux Magazine Online pulled Android commentator Jan Wildeboer and kernel staging tree maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman away from the daily events to talk with them on camera.
Issue 239/2020
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Linux Deepin 20 Released
One of the most beautiful Linux distributions on the market has been refreshed.
-
A New Version of Zorin OS is Now Available
Fan-favorite, Zorin OS 15.3 is officially available.
-
Lenovo Now Offering Fedora Linux as an Option
Lenovo is making good on their Linux promise by adding Fedora into the mix.
-
System76 Launches new High-End Laptop
System76 has unleashed a beast of a mobile workstation.
-
Mozilla Lays Off Staff, Receives More Cash
In a restructuring move, Mozilla lays off 250 employees, but then inks large deal with Google.
-
LibreOffice 7 Now Available
The LibreOffice 7 office suite is now available with important compatibility improvements.
-
Microsoft Brings procmon to Linux
The creators of Windows have brought the sysinternals procmon tool to the open source operating system.
-
New KDE Slimbook Available
The makers of the KDE Slimbook have released a Ryzen-4000 powered laptop.
-
PinePhone Now Offers a Convergence Package
The makers of the Linux PinePhone are now offering a model that makes desktop/mobile convergence a reality.
-
Flutter is Coming to Linux
Google and Canonical have joined forces to bring Flutter to the Linux desktop.