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Linux v2.6 Begins Testing

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the brace-for-destruction dept.

xose quotes Linus from the kernel list: "the naming should be familiar - it's the same deal as with 2.4.0. One difference is that while 2.4.0 took about 7 months from the pre1 to the final release, I hope (and believe) that we have fewer issues facing us in the current 2.6.0. But very obviously there are going to be a few test-releases before the real thing. The point of the test versions is to make more people realize that they need testing and get some straggling developers realizing that it's too late to worry about the next big feature. I'm hoping that Linux vendors will start offering the test kernels as installation alternatives, and do things like make upgrade internal machines, so that when the real 2.6.0 does happen, we're all set." You all know what to do ;) Update: 07/14 17:49 GMT by S : OverNeith writes "Joe Pranevich has done it again! He's written another summary document on what to expect in the new and upcoming 2.6 Kernel!"

2 of 361 comments (clear)

  1. majjor new features? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    What are the major new features of 2.6 versus 2.4?

    Can anyone be so kind enough to list them?

    I tired googling but everything I found was "tentative" or "probable". // Couldnt find out what actually made it to the 2.6 kernel.

  2. Re:USB 2.0 by michrech · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Support for USB 2.0! Great!

    Wait a minute... is that HIGH SPEED, or FULL SPEED?

    From this page:

    Today, most devices and systems support USB version 1.1, which supported two device speeds: low speed at 1.5 Mbit/sec, and full speed at 12 Mbit/sec. USB 2.0 is appearing in current product designs, and one of its main features is adding a new speed: high speed, at 480 Mbit/sec.

    To put it another way: USB 1.1 was OK for low speed devices like mice and keyboards, and even for medium speed ones like Ethernet (10 Mbit/sec) adapters, or consumer electronics gadgets that only exchange a few megabytes of data (like many digital still cameras and MP3 players). USB 2.0 "full speed" or "low speed" is effectively just the familiar old "USB 1.1". You need USB 2.0 high speed to get reasonable speed for multiple large transfers as with some PC peripherals like disk drives (including MP3 jukeboxes :) or high resolution webcams (USB video), or get concurrent use from a bunch of 100BaseT networking adapters.

    I think this answers your question.

    --
    bork bork bork!