Re: Kernel Version Explanation

[randy_dunlap <rdunlap@xenotime.net>]

On Tue, 31 May 2005 12:45:43 -0400 Fao, Sean wrote:

| Schneelocke wrote:
| 
| >On 30/05/05, H. Peter Anvin <hpa@zytor.com> wrote:
| >  
| >
| >>>It looks to me like the word "stable" is overused on the main page
| >>>at www.kernel.org .
| >>>      
| >>>
| >>That's because there isn't an odd-number series right now.
| >>    
| >>
| >
| >Will there ever be one again (at least in the foreseeable future)?
| >We've had "Linus = stable, -mm = unstable" for a long time now, and it
| >seems pretty much official now that there won't be a 2.7 anytime soon.
| >The actual development of new features is happening in the relevant
| >maintainers' trees, anyway, so there simply seems to be no need for a
| >single highly development-oriented tree (like 2.5 was) anymore - quite
| >the contrary.
| >  
| >
| 
| My understanding was that Linus eventually decided upon something in the 
| middle.  I understood that there still wouldn't be a 2.7.x branch 
| (unless major changes occurred, which would severely risk breaking the 
| stable tree).  However, it was also my understanding that Linus would 
| return to the even/odd version system; but, would do so in the rev.  In 
| other words, 2.6.even would be stable, while 2.6.odd would be 
| development.  I did, however, become slightly confused when I connected 
| to http://www.kernel.org and noticed that the latest stable kernel was 
| 2.6.11.11 because it's both odd and contains four version numbers rather 
| than the  three, which we've usually seen.
| 
| Hope that clears up what my confusion is.

The even/odd-ness of 'x' in the 2.6.x version number discussion
was ultimately rejected as far as it having any stable/development/test
meaning.

Mostly Linus's 2.6.x tree is for stable work and Andrew's -mm
patchset is for development work.  However, as I often say,
everything is relative.  There are no absolutes in this.


---
~Randy
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