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Kernel 2.6.12 Released

Mad Merlin writes "Linux kernel 2.6.12 has been released! Kerneltrap has a brief summary on it. The changelog is only partial however: 'The full ChangeLog ended up missing, because I only have the history from 2.6.12-rc2 in my git archives, but if you want to, you can puzzle it together by taking the 2.6.12 changelog and merging it with the -rc1 and -rc2 logs in the testing directory. The file that says ChangeLog-2.6.12 only contains the stuff from -rc2 onward.' As always you can find the changelog and the source at kernel.org"

23 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. Just after ATI... by xafan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just after hell froze over and ATI released new video drivers for Linux specifically supporting 2.6.11, 2.6.12 gets released.

    Let me start off the collective "ARRGGGHHH!"

    1. Re:Just after ATI... by mr_z_beeblebrox · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Just after hell froze over and ATI released new video drivers for Linux specifically supporting 2.6.11, 2.6.12 gets released.

      As someone who specifically uses 2.4.x kernels due to certain support issues, I give you permission not to upgrade. Matter of fact to go further I give you this checklist to decide any and all software upgrades in the future:
      Does your current software solve your needs?
      Does the upgrade mess with something you care about?
      Does the upgrade fix a vital security issue?
      Are you a developer?
      I would discuss the answers in an if.. then... else sort of way. But, if you can upgrade your kernel you should be able to figure it out. Oh, one more thing, if you do not know the answer to any of these questions, you shouldn't even think about upgrading. Do not run code simply because it has been written. Code is written to address needs, use the code that was wrtten for yours and be happy that there is code for other people to.

  2. Now, there's the right message by NitsujTPU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The full ChangeLog ended up missing, because I only have the history from 2.6.12-rc2 in my git archives, but if you want to, you can puzzle it together by taking the 2.6.12 changelog and merging it with the -rc1 and -rc2 logs in the testing directory

    Nothing instills confidence in those who are not convinced that Linux is mature enough for their application like the messages: "I was too lazy to download these files to put together a changelog" and
    "the changelog wasn't in our CMS."

    1. Re:Now, there's the right message by TorKlingberg · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Still better than "We won't tell you what this 20 MB binary patch does, but install it anyway. Trust us."

  3. One thing I'm a bit confused about... by Sheetrock · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When and why did they stop the system of releasing stable versions on the even minor releases (2.4.x, 2.6.x, etc.) and unstable/development versions on the odd minor releases (2.5.x, 2.7.x, etc.)?

    --

    Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
    -- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.




    1. Re:One thing I'm a bit confused about... by The_Wilschon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, but one of Linux's strengths, and selling points, has traditionally been its stability. If we throw that out the window, then people will start drifting away to other systems, and then we'll have even *fewer* people using the buggy kernels. Calling buggy code "production" is a M$ tactic. And one of the reasons I moved away from that platform.

      --
      SIGSEGV caught, terminating

      wait... not that kind of sig.
    2. Re:One thing I'm a bit confused about... by iabervon · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The problem was that starting an unstable series was exactly the kind of fork that causes problems with development. There was a substantial period when the functionality needed to run a system with recent software and on recent hardware was only in the unstable one of the official series, and was backported to the nominally stable series by each distro individually separately and to different degrees. Furthermore, there was constant pressure to add new features to the officially stable series, rather than to the unstable series (or backported from the unstable series).

      The central problem was that series progressed from unstable to stable to obsolescent to non-functioning. The solution is to always have a place for unstable features (the -mm series) and a place for stable features (the mainline series), and features move into the stable series as they become stable, rather than requiring a major upheaval and years of fussing. Then there needs to be something that corresponds to the period where mistakes in a release are fixed in a release that doesn't include anything else, even new features which are extensively tested; this is only useful until there are no known regressions in the next version with added features.

      The reason that the numbering changed is that, were the numbering maintained, the recent releases would now be 2.16.11, 2.18.0, and 2.19.0 (assuming that the new system was adopted at 2.6.6, the old numbering would make what was 2.6.7 into 2.8.0, and so forth, replacing one point release with two minors, which would just be silly). Also, it would be confusing if 2.17.x included stuff that wasn't in 2.18.0, was in 2.19.0, and was in 2.20.0; this is what happens to anything that's still in testing when a release is made and then stabilizes. Since there's always stuff in testing, no stable release could ever be made without having the existance of features be confusingly non-continguous.

      In any case, 2.6.x.y is now about as stable as 2.4.x was during the period before distros started moving to 2.6.

  4. x86_64 ctl32 removed by etymxris · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's some compatibility thing that allows 32 bit apps to run on a 64-bit OS. Shouldn't be a problem for GPL drivers, but will break older proprietary drivers. I believe nvidia just updated their drivers to be compatible with 2.6.12. But VMWare still won't work, last I checked.

  5. Priorities by etymxris · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sure, a full changelog would be nice. But Linus, I imagine, isn't too worried about appearing here isn't worth the effort. His time's better spent on actual kernel code.

    This is the type of thing that happens when engineers manage projects rather than business people. That's not a criticism.

    1. Re:Priorities by Speare · · Score: 4, Funny
      This is the type of thing that happens when engineers manage projects rather than business people.

      Yeah, I hate it when engineers manage the business people.

      --
      [ .sig file not found ]
  6. Re:Linux+OpenSolaris by Arker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does anyone think there will be anything benificial to linux to borrow from solaris now that the source is out, or does their license even allow this?

    Short answer: No, and no.

    Longer answer, while there are a few places Solaris still has an advantage, you can't just rip code out of one and stick it another. The structure of the code is quite different, so an implementation in one codebase just won't transfer to another cleanly.

    And two, the CDDL, besides being horridly written, is clearly and intentionally not GPL compatible, so even if you could transplant code like that technically, it wouldn't work legally.

    --
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
  7. Maybe? by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Could this be part of the reason hardware manufacturers don't put a high priority for Linux drivers?

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
    1. Re:Maybe? by big_groo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is precisely why I choose Nvidia hardware - and I always will. Nvidia took the time to ensure that I can have accelerated graphics on my choice of OS, so I will reward them with my pocketbook. You should do the same.

    2. Re:Maybe? by flithm · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Open source isn't the be-all end all. Nvidia puts out a great product and a good driver to match. I fail to see how doing this "destroys the core value of Linux."

      Without a proper nvidia driver, Linux would be basically useless for any real modern desktop use, as all we'd have is driver support comparable to say that of any of the other open sourced ones, SiS, via, intel, matrox, the open source nvidia, or ATI drivers. Which by the way all tremendously suck. Sure basic 2d operations are supported, but that's it.

      nvidia is under no obligation to release the internals of their product, and why would they in such a competetive market!

      Punishing nvidia for running a good, smart business, and support free and alternative operating systems with quality products is an absolutely ridiculous thing to say.

      Before you spout your mouth off like that, I'd like to see you create and maintain the number one graphics card company in the world, then release the source code to your driver which would give your competitors a HUGE leg up on understanding the internals of your product.

      Don't be such an idealistic ass. It's people like YOU that destroy the core value of Linux.

  8. Poor Linus by RickPartin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sorry about being off-topic but I've been thinking, since Linus is a normal guy and not some super human CEO, he must go through a "family tech support guy" hell that only exists in only our darkest of nightmares. I pity him.

  9. Some explaination in the changelog... by Whyte · · Score: 4, Informative


    commit 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2
    Author: Linus Torvalds
    Date: Sat Apr 16 15:20:36 2005 -0700

    Linux-2.6.12-rc2

    Initial git repository build. I'm not bothering with the full history,
    even though we have it. We can create a separate "historical" git
    archive of that later if we want to, and in the meantime it's about
    3.2GB when imported into git - space that would just make the early
    git days unnecessarily complicated, when we don't have a lot of good
    infrastructure for it.

    Let it rip!

    --
    -- No matter how great your triumphs or how tragic your defeats, approximately one billion Chinese couldn't care less.
  10. Switch to Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    We were negotiating with the Pentagon.
    We had a blue screen of death.
    That was the last straw.
    When you're holding the moon for ransom, you value stability in an application.
    Linux gives us the power we need to crush those who oppose us.
    It's compatible with our orbiting brain lasers.
    I've got a beowolf cluster of atomic supermen.
    I have more friends now.
    Genetically engineered cybergoats.
    Henchmen with bad teeth.
    Georgous fembots with a penchant for evil.
    I mean Linux runs on anything.
    I'm all about open source.
    It's just changed my love life.
    You have to uh.. config it.
    Uh.. and then you have to write some shell scripts.
    Update your RPMs.
    You have to partition your drives... and patch your kernel.
    Compile your binaries.
    Check your version dependencies... probably do that once or twice.
    It's just so easy and so simple, I don't see why most people don't run Linux.
    Thank god they don't, because they'd all be super villans, wouldn't they?
    Huh uh ha!
    I'm Steve, and I'm a super villian.

    1. Re:Switch to Linux by einhverfr · · Score: 4, Funny

      You have to uh.. config it.
      Uh.. and then you have to write some shell scripts.
      Update your RPMs.
      You have to partition your drives... and patch your kernel.
      Compile your binaries.
      Check your version dependencies... probably do that once or twice.
      It's just so easy and so simple, I don't see why most people don't run Linux.
      Thank god they don't, because they'd all be super villans, wouldn't they?
      Huh uh ha!
      I'm Steve, and I'm a super villian.


      So, Ballmer, What's up?

      --

      LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
  11. 2.6.13 by jd · · Score: 4, Informative
    There was a discussion on LWN about what was going to happen in the 2.6.13 and 2.6.14 timeframe. Apparently, there is speculation Linus may merge in a lot of the more stable stuff from Andrew Morton's -mm patchset. If the updated RAID drivers are in that patchset, there is a good chance they will be in 2.6.13 or 2.6.14.


    In the meantime, there are a lot of valuable, interesting and worthwhile projects that aren't in ANY of the patchsets at this point in time. I e-mailed a few of the maintainers about that, and it appears that they're aware of the problem but want general users to pressure the patch maintainers to publish patches on the kernel mailing list AND that said patches should conform to the kernel programming style.


    So, again, if you want updated drivers for RAID, or additional features you know damn well exist and are out there, lobby the maintainers until they publish the stuff in a way the core kernel maintainers like.


    There is simply far too much good stuff out there that is not being seen and not being used. It has got to the point where I will be reviving my own FOLK patch series, to start documenting the patches that live out on the fringes of kernelspace. If we want a better Linux, all we have to do is ask in a way that will be heard.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  12. Re:Making it stable... by njcoder · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just make it easy
    for us to read and do not
    try and write haikus. :)

  13. Linus is our Family Tech Support Guy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    he must go through a "family tech support guy" hell that only exists in only our darkest of nightmares

    It seems today
    that all we see
    is Longhorn delayed
    and OS X on PeeCees
    but where's the free and open source
    on which we used to rely?
    Luckily there's our Family Tech Support Guy,
    the guy who makes the kernel
    that runs on all the hardware
    we bought at Fry's.
    He's
    our
    Family
    Tech
    Support
    Guy!

    Hmm. Sorry. I got carried away :).
    Thanks Linus for all your hard work!

  14. Re:You're Fired by slavemowgli · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There is no release manager. A new kernel gets published when Linus decides it's time; in a way, that makes him the release manager, but it's not really managing as in "creating schedules, specifications, requirements, deadlines and all that". And I at least would rather see him do actual work instead of meeting arbitrary requirements imposed on him by the more marketing-oriented types.

    That being said, Linus *has* given a reason why there's no full changelog this *one* time (it's reproduced right above in this very Slashdot discussion, for example); if anyone has issues with that, I assume they're more than welcome to create a full one and post that. If noone does... well, then the itch probably wasn't worth scratching after all.

    So there. If it really matters to you, then go and create a full changelog. If it's not worth your time and effort, why do you complain that Linus feels the same way?

    --
    quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
  15. One Change I Like by Borealid · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't know if anybody cares, but this update supposedly fixes usb-audio so that disconnecting a running sound card won't eliminate your keyboard. Those of you with SB Audigy 2 NX or Extigy cards should probably upgrade.