Slashdot Mirror
Torvalds Bemoans Size of RC7 For Linux Kernel 3.5
alphadogg writes "A host of small modifications and a large number of system-on-a-chip and PowerPC fixes inflated the size of release candidate No. 7 for Version 3.5 of the Linux kernel, according to curator Linus Torvalds' RC7 announcement, made on Saturday. Torvalds wasn't happy with the extensive changes, most of which he said he received Friday and Saturday, saying 'not cool, guys' in the announcement. However, the occasionally combustible kernel curator didn't appear to view this as a major setback. 'Now, admittedly, most of this is pretty small. The loadavg calculation fix patch is pretty big, but quite a lot of that is added comments,' he wrote, referring to the subroutine that measures system workload."
Linus is getting bitchy lately.
To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
Linus bitches and moans about the size of every release candidate. Better that broken stuff gets fixed now rather than with an ever-lengthenng string of point releases after the fact.
If I'm reading the article correctly, this isn't so much about file size as about the number of bugs fixed. Or rather, how many bugs still needed fixing in what was supposed to be the seventh release candidate of the kernel: something one would not expect to find so many bugs in very quickly.
Is this the case?
Who the hell this Linus thinks he is by criticizing Linux development??!111?
Sounds like the kernel could use a good refactoring.
Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
"Not cool guys." - linus OHMYGHOSH, front page news.
If I were in Linus' shoes working on the same goddamn thing for a couple of decades, I think I would have resorted to fire bombing by now.
I think he should pass the torch to someone else and go do something fun - or just be a devoted dad.
Are we talking about source code size, or the actual binary footprint on any individual supported system? In other words, does an ARM SoC running Linux get bloated down by the unnecessary PowerPC (!) support code?
This networkworld.com article gets submitted to /.:
A host of small modifications and a large number of system-on-a-chip and PowerPC fixes inflated the size of release candidate No. 7 for Version 3.5 of the Linux kernel, according to curator Linus Torvalds' RC7 announcement, made on Saturday.
LAST TIME AROUND: Linux kernel 3.4 released
Torvalds wasn't happy with the extensive changes, most of which he said he received Friday and Saturday, saying "not cool, guys" in the announcement. However, the occasionally combustible kernel curator didn't appear to view this as a major setback.
"Now, admittedly, most of this is pretty small. The loadavg calculation fix patch is pretty big, but quite a lot of that is added comments," he wrote, referring to the subroutine that measures system workload.
However, he noted, there were also the assorted changes for SoCs, PowerPC compatibility, USB and audio to be folded in, forcing a comparatively large RC7.
"Ok, so it's still not *huge*, but it's bigger than -rc6 was. I had hoped for less," wrote Torvalds.
He also hopes that it won't be necessary to deploy an eighth release candidate before Version 3.5 of the kernel can be properly rolled out, and urged the community to "go forth and test."
Among the biggest new features expected in Linux 3.5 is enhanced compatibility with the ARM processor family, which are used in a wide array of low-cost computing devices. Several ARM-related fixes are part of 3.5-RC7, according to the official announcement email and changelog.
The H-Online reported earlier today that the final version of Linux 3.5 should be deployed next weekend, if all goes well with RC7.
The h-online.com article the networkworld one is a rehashing of:
Over the weekend, Linus Torvalds reluctantly published a seventh release candidate (RC7) for the 3.5 Linux kernel. In the LKML announcement email, the Linux creator says that he originally thought another RC would not necessarily be required; however, a large number of small pull requests submitted by developers late last week necessitated an additional RC for testing, leading Torvalds to tell the developers, "Not cool, guys. Not cool."
These changes include media fixes, random SOC fixes and PowerPC fixes, as well as patches for the leap second bug that caused Linux systems to freeze because of permanent high CPU loads that resulted in increased power consumption and wasted electricity. "Ok, so it's still not *huge*, but it's bigger than -rc6 was," said Torvalds, adding, "I had hoped for less."
Linus has asked the kernel developers to test the rc7 release to "make sure it's all good", and is hoping that he "won't have to do an -rc8". Barring any major problems over the coming week, Linux3.5 will likely be released next weekend. An overview of the changes made in the 3.5 kernel can be found in TheH's Kernel Log mini-series "Coming in 3.5" which examines the various subsystem developments in the upcoming release.
Review each article and notice what is and what is not a link, and where the links lead.
Very disappointed that the geniuses at "Network World" did not include a link to the original article. For articles like this it's much better to read the source material yourself and come to your own conclusions, without the sensationalism and ad-baiting.
If only there were a way to use a microkernel to run Linux.... ;-)
Egads, there hasn't been a new Powerpc in ages except for a few game consoles and people stuck with legacy IBM big iron. Any reason to continue bloating the kernel with that stuff? Time marches on. Why inconvenience everyone so that a few dozen PS3 users can run Linux? :)
I bemoan the state of that, but Christ knows a rewrite isn't coming anytime soon.
I remember when it was predicted that the kernel going over 10 megabytes would destroy the Internet. All those people downloading all those 10 megabytes! The Internets was going to come crashing down! That was several million 10 megabyteses ago!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Happen to us all.
LoL
IBM still makes and supports PPC. Before that, it would make sense to drop some of the dead RISC CPU support - such as PA-RISC and Alpha. Indeed, given that even Itanium support has been dropped by all distros except Debian, the only RISC that deserves continued support from Linux are ARM, Sparc, MIPS and OpenRISC.
But honestly, when Linux is installed on something, does it have anything like NEXT's fat binaries? I thought that only the target platform binaries were included. How is the support of other platforms like RISC an issue in the code or binary size of RC7?
I'm all for constructive critism but lately, everytime he says something, it sounds like he's whining or complaining.
In fact the core of the kernel has already been refactored many times and is of excellent quality....In fact there is no real problem in Linux code, just a recent increase in the number of developers.
Erhm. Excellent code quality?? You must be joking
According to Linus:
Linux has no design, and will never have one. Linux evolves just like nature does: big parts are rewritten all the time and this is superior to any design. Only old mature code is of high quality. New code is always full of bugs. There is a reason they say wait for Service Pack 1 before using Windows, because then it has matured. Linux is constantly full of new code.
http://kerneltrap.org/node/11
Regarding the code quality in Linux:
Linux kernel hacker Andrew Morton says
Q: Is it your opinion that the quality of the kernel is in decline? Most developers seem to be pretty sanguine about the overall quality problem. Assuming there's a difference of opinion here, where do you think it comes from? How can we resolve it?
A: I used to think it was in decline, and I think that I might think that it still is. I see so many regressions which we never fix.
http://lwn.net/Articles/285088/
Linux kernel developer David Miller says:
"The [linux source code] tree breaks every day, and it's becomming an extremely non-fun environment to work in.
We need to slow down the merging, we need to review things more, we need people to test their f--king changes!"
http://kerneltrap.org/Linux/Active_Merge_Windows
Linus Torvalds says the kernel is bloated:
"Citing an internal INTEL corp study that tracked kernel releases, Bottomley said Linux performance had dropped about two per centage points at every release, for a cumulative drop of about 12 per cent over the last ten releases. "Is this a problem?" he asked.
"We're getting bloated and huge. Yes, it's a problem," said Torvalds."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/22/linus_torvalds_linux_bloated_huge/
Linux Kernel developer Andrew Morton
"it would help if people's patches were less buggy."
http://lwn.net/Articles/285088/
Non Linux developers:
"[Linux is] terrible," De Raadt says. "Everyone is using it, and they don't realize how bad it is. And the Linux people will just stick with it and add to it rather than stepping back and saying, 'This is garbage and we should fix it.'"
http://www.forbes.com/2005/06/16/linux-bsd-unix-cz_dl_0616theo.html
Lok Technologies, a San Jose, Calif.-based maker of networking gear, started out using Linux in its equipment but switched to OpenBSD four years ago after company founder Simon Lok, who holds a doctorate in computer science, took a close look at the Linux source code.
"You know what I found? Right in the kernel, in the heart of the operating system, I found a developer's comment that said, 'Does this belong here?' "Lok says. "What kind of confidence does that inspire? Right then I knew it was time to switch OS."
http://www.forbes.com/2005/06/16/linux-bsd-unix-cz_dl_0616theo.html
Linux great code quality, eh?