Linux Kernel 2.6.14 Released

digitalderbs writes "Linux kernel 2.6.14 was released on 10-28. OSnews reports on new features like 'HostAP, FUSE, the linux port of the plan9's 9P protocol, netlink connector, relayfs, securityfs, centrino's wireless drivers, support for DCCP (currently a RFC draft, PPTP, full 4 page-table support for ppc64, numa-aware slab allocator, lock-free descriptor lookup' and many other things. The changelog is also available."

Comments

Notable Release

[Doc Ruby]

The "comprehensible changelog" is slashdotted. Why is the high-level feature list of the release such a low priority, though so demanded? I know programmers prefer writing C to writing English (or Finnish, or Hindi, or German). But what good is code people don't install because they don't know what it does for us? There are so many people hanging around OSS projects who can't or don't contribute to the code. Surely some of those people can help by at least distilling the changes into a brief description. Release notes might not be the most important product of a release cycle, but they often control everything that product consumers do after the release is published.

Re:Notable Release

[MoogMan]

Kernels are not intended for the consumer. It is assumed that you have a certain level of understanding to install and configure the Linux Kernel.

Re:Notable Release

[The_Dougster]

Kernels are not intended for the consumer. It is assumed that you have a certain level of understanding to install and configure the Linux Kernel.

True, but building your own kernel isn't particularly challenging either. Basically if you have installed your GCC compiler and a couple of extra packages then as long as you can follow a recipe you can probably build a reasonably good kernel tailored for your system.

Running LILO is probably the most dangerous part, because if your config file isn't right you can leave your system unbootable. A much better option is taking the time to learn GRUB and get it installed because once it is installed all you have to do is add a couple lines to a text file to add another kernel to the list. That way you just leave your existing kernel hanging around until you get your home-made one perfected. It usually takes me a couple of attempts to get a new kernel compiled to my satisfaction.

I don't upgrade my kernel very often either. Once I get a stable system that runs well and has all my drivers supported I usually keep that kernel for a year or so, unless I'm feeling bored and just want to play around with the latest and greatest for fun.

Re:Centrino wireless drivers

[BenV666]

That's where they come from. However, the version included in this kernel is a bit lower than the latest release on sourceforge. (1.0 vs 1.0.8 if I'm correct)

Re:huh?

[Kjella]

Wow, there's not a single thing on that list of features that I understand. Either these are names for things I wanted but didn't know the names for, or these are all things I don't need.

If you told me the changes in Ford's latest car engine, I probably wouldn't understand them either, certainly not if I need them or not. Normal people aren't supposed to understand a kernel change log. Device drivers are the odd exception, not the rule (and more often than not have little to do with the kernel, the kernel provides an interface and someone writes a driver to that interface).

File descriptor offsets?

[Gerald]

Does it let you determine offsets for open files yet? I'd really, really like to be able to run lsof -o under Linux.

Re:This is funny

[CyricZ]

How is it a "troll"? It's obviously pointing out a very real flaw with regards the Slashdot news reporting.

Kids these days throw around the word "troll" like politicians throw around the words "terrorist" and "communist". It is often used out of context and at the wrong times, and thus has no true meaning any longer.

Re:Reiser4? -- victim of politics+human nature

[toby]

By all accounts Reiser4 deserves to be in the kernel -- it's great forward-looking technology; reiser3 is a great success. Unfortunately Reiser4 seems caught in the crossfire of egos, and nobody wants to rise above petty squabbles (and I'm not blaming Hans. He's the guy who's invested all the energy and no small amount of intelligence into the product, for grot's sake).

It's time, IMHO, for Linus to pull rank and just order it merged.

Re:that's kind of the point

[CaptainPinko]

things never mature till they are released and live in the real world... just like the 2.6 kernel

Do it now

[PenGun]

Get this one !

    PenGun
  Do What Now ??? ... Standards and Practices !

Re:abrasive personalities vs the technology

[dubl-u]

It could still be refused or delayed for valid technical reasons. But if Hans' comments on the list offend people to the point where they reject his huge contributions, that's worse for Linux than a few strongly worded posts on Reiser's part.

I agree that outright refusal of ReiserFS code would be a mistake. But neither do I think the jerkiness, which goes beyond mere strong words, is trivial.

The Linux kernel isn't just a complex bit of technology; it's also a complicated social mechanism. As a kernel user, I don't just want new features now; I want the platform to say viable for decades. Politeness is a social lubricant that reduces wear, and mutual respect repairs personal strain.