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Novell Changes Enterprise Linux Kernel Mid-Stream
darthcamaro writes "Enterprise Linux kernels, from Red Hat or Novell, don't change version numbers inside of a release, right? While that has been the case for the last decade of Red Hat and Novell releases, Novell is breaking the mold with SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 service pack one. Instead of backporting new kernel features to the kernel they originally shipped with — which maintains software and hardware vendor certification — they've re-based their Linux kernel version altogether. '"There were some things that led us to update the kernel itself, which is something that we normally don't do: Neither SLES 9 or SLES 10 got a kernel update," Markus Rex, director of open platform solutions at Novell, told InternetNews.com. "But in this particular case, after deep discussion with our ISV and hardware vendors that gave us certifications, we felt in this case a kernel update was the appropriate step to take.'"
That's why people who wants a stable and reliable server OS chooses Red Hat instead (note that Red Hat offers more recent kernels as an experimental alternative, but it's that, experimental) Of course, there're a lot of people who will be happy with Novell including a new kernel, and that's fine. I guess that's why both exist.
yep, "./configure ${OPTIONS} && make && make install" is hard. Also if it's hardware, the kernel devs have said that the ABI changes to support new features, remove cruft, and improve use. If you want your driver to just always work, get it in mainline. See the linux kernel driver project by greg K. H.
All of the above was encrypted with a Quad ROT-13 method. Unauthorized decryption is in violation of the DMCA.
The Novell kernel is Approved By Microsoft(TM).
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill