1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

News Linux kernel 3.10 released

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 1 Jul 2013.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    4 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    17,066
    Likes Received:
    6,610
  2. GuilleAcoustic

    GuilleAcoustic Ook ? Ook !

    Joined:
    26 Nov 2010
    Posts:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    72
    Always nice to see Linux news here. Keep up the good job :thumb:
     
  3. Snips

    Snips I can do dat, giz a job

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2010
    Posts:
    1,940
    Likes Received:
    66
    Quick question, why is it that most distro's use 3.5 version (Is that nearly a year old based on the 10 week update thingy?) and not the very latest version?
     
  4. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    4 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    17,066
    Likes Received:
    6,610
    A lot of distributions work on an annual or six-monthly update cycle. As a result, when a new release is finalised - Ubuntu 13.10, for example, due for release later this year - it gets 'frozen' to whatever the latest tested major revision is. When the version of Ubuntu I'm using got frozen, it was on 3.5.0 - which is why if I do a 'uname -a' on my desktop right now, I get the answer of '3.5.0-34-generic.'

    A code freeze means you can't change major revision, but you can still get patches - hence why I'm on the 34th kernel of the 3.5.0 branch. What you can't do, however, is release something from a different branch - so there'll be no 3.6 or newer appearing in Software Update for me. I *can* get a newer kernel by upgrading to Ubuntu 13.04, which I haven't got around to doing yet, as that code freeze happened about six months after Ubuntu 12.10 - the version I'm on now.

    Not all distributions have the concept of 'code freeze.' Some use a 'rolling release' system, which means that as soon as a new kernel (or any other piece of software) has been tested and tweaked in whatever way is required it is released to everyone. Those distributions don't really have version numbers.

    As to why everyone isn't always on the latest version: distributions often tweak or change things, and they need to make sure that a major release is still compatible. Ubuntu is a great example of this: it uses a lot of custom stuff, including an upcoming replacement for X, which isn't usual and the mainline kernel team won't be testing for. It's entirely possible that dropping a stock 3.10 kernel into Ubuntu will break one or more Ubuntu-specific things - so it's up to Canonical and the Ubuntu community to test each kernel release, fix whatever gets broken, and *then* include it in the upcoming release.

    TL;DR: Long release cycles, compatibility and/or laziness.
     
  5. Icy EyeG

    Icy EyeG Controlled by Eyebrow Powers™

    Joined:
    23 Jul 2007
    Posts:
    517
    Likes Received:
    3
    Times are sure changing. I think it's the first time that Bit-Tech covers a Linux kernel release.
     
  6. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    4 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    17,066
    Likes Received:
    6,610
    It is, although Linux is hardly new ground for the site: we've previously reported on the Linux Foundation's "I Am Linux" advertising scheme, the formation of Linaro, Linux-compatible graphics card driver releases, Linux server certification, various embedded Linux projects, kernel drivers, commercial support, KDE and more - and that's not even including coverage on Linux gaming, which has increased dramatically in the last year thanks to organisations like Valve putting their muscle behind the effort.
     
  7. GuilleAcoustic

    GuilleAcoustic Ook ? Ook !

    Joined:
    26 Nov 2010
    Posts:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    72
  8. Icy EyeG

    Icy EyeG Controlled by Eyebrow Powers™

    Joined:
    23 Jul 2007
    Posts:
    517
    Likes Received:
    3
    Indeed, indeed, and I love you guys for it! :clap:
    Specially because many other tech sites seem to neglect Linux, even today.
     
  9. Blackshark

    Blackshark What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    13 Apr 2004
    Posts:
    135
    Likes Received:
    2
    GA - What are you going to use it for? standard PC, HTPC....?

    Just interested as I am waiting for the same to come out to get back in to the desktop PC 'game' after being on laptops and RPis for .... many years (not so long the later of course)
     
  10. GuilleAcoustic

    GuilleAcoustic Ook ? Ook !

    Joined:
    26 Nov 2010
    Posts:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    72
    Everything is here : http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=259786

    Basically I'll use a compact mechanical keyboard (60% size), an Intel NUC motherboard (100 x 100mm) and a custom built case (3D printed me think). The idea is to have something similar to the Amiga 600 in term of size.
     
  11. Snips

    Snips I can do dat, giz a job

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2010
    Posts:
    1,940
    Likes Received:
    66
    Thanks, consider me informed :)
     
  12. schmidtbag

    schmidtbag What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    30 Jul 2010
    Posts:
    1,082
    Likes Received:
    10
    I believe the 3.10 kernel is also SUPPOSED to be the beginning of standardizing the different ARM platforms, where it'll be a 1-kernel-fits-all, except for a few proprietary chips from companies like Rockchip. This will be nice where you won't HAVE to have a different distro for every single platform out there, but it still seems to be a long way away until that really happens.
     

Share This Page