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Linux 2.6.0-test9 Released
keesh writes "Linux kernel 2.6.0-test9 is now out. Changes include SATA support and XFS and CIFS fixes. Because of the change freeze, this is a fairly minor update. In the announcement, Linus suggests that -test10 will be the final release before 2.6.0-final. Don't forget to use a mirror."
So it's finally almost here. Is the framebuffer fixed yet?
Happy New Year, it's 1984!
Although mirrors will probably be faster, if anyone wants the torrent, I set one up:
r ent
http://69.56.172.70/linux-2.6.0-test9.tar.bz2.tor
I can't wait. I just hope RedHat 10 includes a 2.6 kernel, so I don't have to bother compiling it myself. I'd love to take advantage of the performance improvements, and I'd also like to use SATA drives in my new server.
You are not the customer.
SATA = Serial ATA, a replacement for the old Parallel ATA.
XFS = SGI's high-performance filesystem.
CIFS = Common Internet File System, otherwise known as SMB. The Microsoft networked filesystem emulated by Samba. A misnomer in that it isn't generally used over the Internet (except for worms, ha ha).
I see one of the icons for this story is a compact disc. That's just plain mean.
--------
Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...
It doesn't build for the x86-64 platform, and doesn't boot on "white box" Alphas (ones only intended to run NT). So my 64-bit machines are feeling a bit left out.
At least patches for both problems are available, but need to be merged.
I submitted several bugs to the bug tracker, I e-mailed Alan Cox and Lunis Torvalds, and I still get the same error when trying to run it:
kernel-2.6.0-test9.tar.bz2 is not a valid Win32 application
and then the error message with Ok and Cancel.
Anyone has any howto on whether this bug will ever be fixed? Or is there a service pack or a patch I missed?
Can't wait to install this one on my new LG computer!
if you have problem downloading, try this one.
l ly-/we_need_to_check_da_code/need_cash/buy_mo_shar e/2.6.0-test9.src.rpm
ftp.sco.com/pub/linux/source/beta/kernel/hey_bi
Good luck everyone!!
Got a point there...
linux-2.0.39.tar.bz2 - 5958KB
linux-2.2.25.tar.bz2 - 15421KB
linux-2.6.0-test0.tar.bz2 - 32448BK
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
For someone like me who has never compiled a kernel before, what sort of troubles should I expect in a move to a new kernel version?
I downloaded and was compiling the sources when the story broke on Slashdot.
When Pat said that Slackware 9.1 was 2.6 ready, he wasn't kidding. So far, so good. Not a glitch during the compile or boot-up. I plan to stress test it as much as possible to see if I can tell the difference between 2.4.22.
I can't wait until Linux 2.6 final is out.
Alsa sound drivers are built right in. So now I don't need to copile them separately. The oss support for my sound card was very half ass, it didn't even support full duplex and hardware mixing.
Also, i2c and the lm sensors interface is built right in as well. So now I don't have to compile i2c and lm sensors to know how hot my mobo and cpu are running. They have saved my computer at least once. My cpu fan died on me, I wouldn't have known if I didn't have it graphed.
Also there's pre-emptible kernel option. It makes X more responsive, especially noticeable under heavy load and on slower computers. Supposedly better memory management as well, but as I have 768 megs of ram, I probably won't ever notice that.
There's also USB 2.0 support, and support for USB type removeable drivers. I think both of those are new.
There's probalby more, but those are the ones I know off hand.
Because they are bloated, overly complicated, overpriced kludge boxes. People in the know stick with the clean, elegant VIC-20.
Don't forget that the vast majority of increased code size is in new drivers. You won't be running a kernel that incorporates more than a fraction of that code. In fact, IIRC, the size of the base code actually decreased between 2.2 and 2.4.
How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
Does anyone know if the conflicts between ACPI and USB have been fixed yet? Basically, if ACPI is enabled in the kernel, it will mess with USB--for instance, my USB mouse will suddenly stop working (no errors in /var/log/messages or syslog) and won't work again until I 'rmmod ohci_hcd' and modprobe it back again. My laptop (which is currently running -test8) has this problem, and it is very annoying (although at least APM works).
Yes, I realize that I can roll my own kernel, I've done it many times. It's just that they work better when RH makes the RPM. Not that this is as it should be.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
lex@particle theory $ uname -a
Linux particle 2.6.0-test6 #3 Sun Sep 28 19:27:41 EDT 2003 i686 AMD Athlon(tm) Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
alex@particle theory $ uptime
01:03:46 up 27 days, 3:45, 4 users, load average: 0.16, 0.36, 0.30
And this is my *primary* dev box that doubles as a server (web, mysql, etc.,) and pretty much anything else I use a computer for (play music, video, etc.,)
How exactly is 27 days uptime not stable?
"If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy
One big improvement in 2.6 will be with handling of CD and CD-RW drives. CD audio extraction will be able to use DMA, which should speed it up a lot. Also, CD writing will be possible using the regular IDE driver, so it won't be necessary to use SCSI emulation anymore.
For a really comprehensive description of the changes with 2.6, you might want to look at The Wonderful World of Linux 2.6, which goes into much more detail than anyone on /. is likely to be able to.
There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.
Andrew Morton the heralded maintainer of Linux kernel 2.6 will be speaking at the Southern California Linux Expo on November 22nd at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Andrew will be speaking on the Linux pagecache, VFS, filesystem and VM nexus. Regular priced and student priced tickets giving full access to the event are still available for this event. Free expo only tickets are also available using the "FREE" promotional code on the orders page. The Southern California Linux Expo is a non-profit event organized by LUG volunteers.
Here's the last MS service pack you'll ever need:
format c:
The mailing list post that is linked to in the headline, if you'd read it, mentions that Linus doesn't want to do anything major before release. I'd consider "bug changes" critical, personally. Linus is only taking bug fixes for major issues. Witness:
"So guys, let's work on this even more for test10. I'm going to _totally_ ignore patches that aren't for major bugs. Don't send me anything that _others_ wouldn't consider horribly critical."
Take a look at http://people.redhat.com/~arjanv/2.5/ they have unofficial, precompiled 2.6 kernels there, last one is test8. Kernel is working just fine on my T23, minor bootup issues with USB, otherwise no problems. Only other thing is, you have to update your modutils and initscripts.
anyone knows if the supposed stollen code from $CO has been removed? :>
Ok, before you read any further remember that this is NOT accurate, tested or anyhow valid information. Some of this is purely psychological and has got NOTHING to do with real benchmarks.
.20-ck6. Didn't switch back just yet because I had compiled in some stuff I needed and it takes a while to compile a new kernel with this hardware.
.22-ck1, and it has seemed even more responsive in normal use (IRC, web surfing, MP3s etc) than .20-ck6 which I was already happy with. Responsiveness shows in switching desktops when browser is doing things, starting things and playing MP3s at the same time.
I've been running 2.4 series with CK [1] patches. I'm unfortunately using somewhat low-end hardware (P200MHz) and hence I really appreciate performance. I switched to linux-2.6.0-test8 only a week ago, so again this isn't really the best source of information.
Anyhow, I'm so far REALLY happy with performance of 2.6.0-test8. Before the switch, I was using 2.4.22-ck1 which was a lot worse performance-wise than my previous kernel,
Linux-2.6.0-test8 has done A LOT better than
And yes, as I said in the beginning, most of this is purely psychological and inaccurate. Slower hardware of course benefits more even from smallest performance gains. Then again, I don't believe that 2.6 will be The Thing for serious production enviroments for a while, it's not mature enough yet. But for me -- for desktop use -- great!
[1] http://members.optusnet.com.au/ckolivas/kernel/ (Con Kolivas' kernel patches that aim to a more responsive system)
Theres a valid torrent link at http://www.distributedbandwidth.info/torrentmap/ex plorer.jsp?cat=Lin260.
It's got the patch & the full kernel.
Al Sutton
You're using sawfish, right? I am, and I tracked down the problem to a line in librep. I mailed John Harper just now about it. If you're not using sawfish, you can ignore the rest of this message.
It all has to do with the following lines from unix_processes.c:
The call to select() on kernel 2.6 causes the timeout to be fully expired every time. This code is in the parent branch after the fork() (right before it starts waitpid() on the child), so everything freezes for at least 1 full second. Dropping this timeout to 1 usec causes the problem to go away.