Slashdot Mirror
Linux 2.3.40 released
Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk writes "Linux kernel 2.3.40 has just been released. You can find a description on what's new in it on kernelnotes.org. It's available on one of the ftp.kernel.org and on most mirrors." Remember, this is a development kernel.
Hmm... I think you probably clicked "y" for "emulate NT network reliability" in the Networking Options. The new kernel can also emulate AOL 5.0 networking behavior by choosing "n" for "TCP/IP networking."
>How do we know what the latest kernel REALLY is in these circumstances?
Try finger:
$ finger @ftp.kernel.org
[zeus.kernel.org]
The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is: 2.2.14
The latest beta version of the Linux kernel is: 2.3.40
The latest prepatch (alpha) version *appears* to be: 2.3.41-1
When there was a story for every kernel release, it was, indeed, too much. Now /. only reports every once in a while on minor releases. In this case, I think it gives us a good forum to discuss how stable the 2.3 branch is getting and what we might expect to run into if we switch over.
To be more specific, I'm considering playing with 2.3, and reading the responses to this story tells me that there are some networking problems that I would prefer to avoid and there might be some sound problems. Consequently, I'll hold off for a while longer.
I thought there was a consensus that it was far better to let other sites post news about new kernel, especially for development kernels.
Does this kernel have some exceptional new thing integrated beside his number (Oh yes, we have reached the 40th release of 2.3 WHAT A NEWS) to justify to be posted??? Is it the first kernel of a new serie (like 2.2.0 or 2.3.0?)??? Does it fix a big bug??? No, then don't post it.
Those that are interested by cutting edge kernels know where to find them, those that are not able to find it by themselves probably aren't able to cope with the possible problems that may arise from a development kernel.
(this is not meant as a flamebait but
"The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers." Bill Gates,
For anybody running laptops, the big deal with the more recent 2.3 kernels is the built-in PCMCIA support. In the 2.2 series if you want to configure your kernel at all you have to get not only the kernel source but the (big) PCMCIA patch and compile it separately, and there's a somewhat intimidating series of questions you have to answer in the config. It's anything but seamless, and you have to mess around with it every time you upgrade the kernel. In 2.3 it's just one more checkbox item in make xconfig. :-) Progress marches on.
Life's a bitch but somebody's gotta do it.
Thats's precisely why I love windows so much! None of that pesky kernel updating. It's nice to know that if a bug is here today, it will be here tomorrow, and next week, and next year. It's good to know that FreeBSD has taken that step in the right direction. Maybe it will be as good as windows someday.
Since whan is lack of active development a feature?
0 1 - just my two bits
FreeBSD is a kernel /and/ a distribution of software. It has two general branches - Stable and Current (I think). Current is where the bleeding-edge changes go; people who know what they're doing and/or need features only in current track it. Otherwise, you use Stable.
Linux is a kernel, only. There are many distributions based around it. It is developed in two branches; a stable and development branch. You can tell which branch a kernel is in by the minor version number (Linux kernels are numbered major.minor.patchlevel - Major is iterated very infrequently, after major changes; minor is iterated not so often, when going from development to stable; and patchlevel is the development on the minor version). If the minor version is odd - 1, 3, 5, etc - it is a development kernel, and if it is even - 2, 4, 6 - it is a stable kernel. Development kernels should not be used on production boxes, unless you're willing to support it yourself and deal with problems that may occur. Things can and will break in development kernels. Stable kernels should be used pretty much everywhere, particularly if you are new to Linux.
Remember: You don't ever need to update a kernel unless it fixes something that's broken, adds support for something you have, or adds a feature you require. Otherwise, stick with what you've got - it's not a prerequisite to update when new versions are released.
Not everybody follows every latest release of the kernel, but some people like to follow the general progress. When Slashdot posts a story about a new kernel version once in a while it helps people (like me!) keep up with the general progress of the project without being obsessed by it.
As to complaints of "Go To Freshmeat!" my point is that some people don't want to rabidly follow every release of software, they just want a general feeling for the situation.
After all, does your life end when Slashdot posts a story about something you already know or is not relvent to you personally?
Maybe Slashdot needs a filter for kernel release posts, similar to the ones for filtering various authors.
Hello Dudes,
The hackers at Linux USB Visor has managed to get Visor to sync over USB in Linux 2.3.40. They managed to do this with a few extra patches (Which you can get from that site) and help from a freebsd dude. Freebsd dudes hop over there to find out how they did it as well..
Enjoy syncing the Visor on USB!
Long live the kernel!
--
Why:
there is now no method of sending packets from kernel to user space. Transparent proxying isn't exactly "right". Masquerading is bolted on top of packet filtering, which is what makes building a firewall so complicated.
The rest of the story:
The new protocol (iptools (?)) is 'podabe backwards compatible with upchains and ipfwadm.
Can I bum a