[sf-lug] Linux Kernel Advancements

[Bobbie Sellers]

On 08/07/2016 10:27 PM, Sujit K M wrote:
> Any one with idea why Linux Kernel is bringing up so many revisions.
> What I thought was the 2.2/2.4 and 2.6 versions took 2 decades and the
> remaining two 3.x and 4.x only about 2 years. Is it because of OS
> technologies/hardware changes, but I thought these revisions were for
> betterments
> in kernel. Why do you think that the kernel is being modified so much.
> Also are these latest kernels
> available in Distros. I also see a lot of 3.x longterm kernels and one
> 4.x kernel version. Why is there only one 4.x kernel, if you see the
> latest 4.x version is 4.8, are the releases very stable.

     Whether they are very stable or not will be determined by us
people who end up using them.  Long term support is up into
the higher 4.6 or 4.7 but 4.8 is on the way.

     As to why the numbers advanced so rapidly it was because
Linus Torvalds thought the long version numbers were a drag.
  It looked as though little progress was being made despite
frequent updates and security fixes.  So at one point he
decreed the next version was 3.0 then a year or so later to 4.x.
     Certain distributions use older kernels for whatever reason.
Probably to avoid problems with older tools.

     This is from a 4.4.4 kernel which is running nicely.
     I have several versions of the kernel running in previews and
  release candidates installed and running on my Dell E6420.
  They seem to do their jobs but the KDE 5.7 ain't there yet.

      You seem to be a bit behind the news but have you ever
read Distrowatch Weekly newsletter or bought a Linux magazine
in recent times?  Linux news is easy to find at places like
Linux Weekly News, Linux Planet, Linux Today, and Linux.com.

     bliss