Linux Kernel 2.5.1 is Out

xise writes: "The next installment in the 2.5 Linux Kernel beta series, 2.5.1 is avaliable at the usual place Linux Kernel Archives. Remember to use the mirrors. You can read the changelog here."

Comments

Re:didledididee...two kernels

[GRH]

is there a way to have more than one kernel (e.g. a stable one and a development one) on the same machine and boot to one or the other

Sure is. The kernel sources will untar to different directories based on version (how 'bout that?), so no problem with overwriting your stable ".config".

Anyhoo, after building your new kernel, copy it to the same location as your current kernel, but with a different name. (on Redhat this is /boot, slackware is /). Then edit your lilo.conf file in /etc.

Add a new section that looks like:
image = /root/bzImage25 (whatever your new kernel is called)
root = /dev/hda1 (or whatever you are using)
label = Linux251 (or whatever)
read-only

Save lilo.conf and run lilo. This will re-install lilo with the new settings. Of course, if you're not using lilo, then cheerfully disregard the above. :)

On reboot, you should be able to pick from both the old kernel and the new kernel.

As for where the FM is, check out the LILO mini-HOWTO (in /usr/doc/Linux-mini-HOWTOs on my system).

Have fun.

The mirrors

[djn]

Folks, the kernel mirrors are not at mirrors.kernel.org.

The proper site for mirrors of the Linux Kernel is here.

Here's a quick link to those of you looking for US-based mirrors.

-dan
into unix and punk? check out unixpunx.org

Re:What are the new things they are working on?

[chabotc]

There are currently a few sub-projects going on for 2.5 to improve SMP/scalability on big iron.

It seens every top-kernel developer or company has a different aproach, so its not clear which will be the one being picked (prolly a combination of patches)

IBM has a patch to do a per-cpu que of tasks, allowing better scaling of the scheduler. This causes a lot of the task scheduler to be re-written

Alan has a in-between solution with 8 que's (no matter the amount of CPU's), and a small part scheduler rewrite.

Some other ppl have different aproaches to it all, cant remember their perspective on it (check LKM archives if ur interested).

However the main point (as pointed out by alan and linus) seems to be: 99% of the linux boxes out there run only 3 concurent running tasks, so the scheduler has to remain optimized for this situation (!). The current scheduler handles this situation very well. So any updates and fixes are prolly likely to be non-intrusive to the current scheduler ;-)

Re:NTFS r/w

[ocelotbob]

From what I understand, the NTFS situation is as much a legal problem as it is a technical issue. There are several people willing to hack the NTFS code, but they're currently under NDAs with MS, and as such, can't do anything about fixing the code. However, many of those NDAs are expiring, and people are beginning to hack the filesystem so that write support actually works. As it stands, reading from an NTFS partition works, but writing requires a chkdsk when you next boot Windows, but YMMV.