Zack's Kernel News
Zack's Kernel News
© Linux Magazine Exclusive
Status of the 2.2 Kernel
Back in August 2007, Xose Vazquez Perez asked about the status of the 2.2 kernel tree and noted that version 2.2.26 had been released way back on February 25, 2004. On the other hand, the latest release candidate for 2.2.27 was from January 12, 2005. Willy Tarreau replied that any new release of the 2.2 kernel tree might lead users to believe that it was usable. However, he pointed out that, by now, a lot of security fixes have not gone into that tree, and it is simply too far out of date to continue to maintain.
Xose accepted this explanation at the time, but recently he followed up, suggesting that the 2.2 kernel be removed from the front page of kernel.org. If it is so out of date that no one should use it or patch it, he argued, it clearly shouldn't be advertised on kernel.org. This seems to make some sense; however, at the time of this writing, the 2.2. kernel is still listed on kernel.org with the rest of the kernel trees.
Cute Way to Schedule Code Removal
Matthew Wilcox had a nifty idea to save Andrew Morton a little headache. The current list of kernel features that are scheduled for removal is kept in a single file called feature-removal-schedule.txt. As part of innocently going about their business, kernel hackers who want to schedule a feature for removal have naturally added their items to the bottom of that file. The problem is that everyone then submits their changes to that file as a patch, so all the patches conflict with each other because they are all attempting to add different text at the same place in the file. As a result, Andrew has apparently been resolving these conflicts by hand, which is annoying for him.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.