The numbering system for the Linux
kernel in actually pretty simple once broken down. Thus far three
different numbering schemes for the kernel has been used. Linus
Torvalds released the very first version of the Linux kernel in
September 1991 with version 0.01. Many other versions using this
numbering system followed like 0.02, 0.03, 0.11,0.12, etc. So the
numbering system was just counting up with each release. Then came
version 1.0 released in 1994, and it was at this point the version
numbers moved to a 3 part set up like so, 1.x.x. In this format, the
first number was the kernel version, the second number indicates
major kernel revisions, and the last number is for smaller revisions
such as bug and security patches or new features and drivers. With
that being the case it can be said that the kernel number and the
kernel version are related, but two different things.
Moving along to the release of kernel
2.6.8, there was a critical error so bad it demanded immediate
attention. Once attended to, some felt that not enough code had been
changed to justify a minor revision, so instead of changing the
numbers from 2.6.8 to 2.6.9 the four number system was established
and kernel 2.6.8.1 was released. Again once it is broken down the
numbering of the Linux kernels are not so hard to understand and can
even be helpful at times. It could be very good to know that a
certain kernel revision does not work with your hardware or has a
major bug in it and that you may want to avoid updating or using a
distro that comes with that kernel.
This was just my few thoughts to the
questions, how are Linux kernels
numbered? Are they the same as versions? What is the advantage (or
disadvantage) of this numbering system? And now for something completely different...
No comments:
Post a Comment