[ale] Question....

[Dan Newcombe]

>   Honest question here.  What is the exact difference between a 
> pre-2.0.31 kernel and something like 2.1.50 for example?  Is the
> pre 2.1.50 about to be released as 2.1.31?  Does it have all the
> same drivers and kernel options?  I've never heard a good explanation.

Since the 1.0 kernel, there have been two kernel sets.  the x.1.x and the
x.0.x.  Anything with a x.even#.x designation (2.0.30) is a "stable"
kernel. Anything with a x.odd#.x designation is a development kernel.

Before 1.0, there was about 100+ patch's to the 0.99 kernel.  When they
were finally happy with it all, they released the 1.0 kernel.  This was a
stable frozen kernel.  At the same time, 1.1 was created.  1.1 was to have
all of the modifications that would then lead up to the next stable
release (1.2 I think).  The 1.0.x kernels was the 1.0 kernel with bug
patches applied, but generally no new functionality.  All the new
functionality was being put into the 1.1 kernel.

When they were finally happy with the 1.1 kernel, there was a code freeze
(no new features) and most of the bugs were knocked out, and 1.2.0 was
released.  At the same time, the next development kernel was started
(1.3).  Again, all new functionality (SMP, new drivers, etc...) was put
into 1.3.x, and the only changes in the 1.2.x kernels was to fix the bugs
found in 1.2.0

Same thing with 2.0 and 2.1.  2.0 was the release of the 2.0 kernel, with
2.1 being the new development track.  All the 2.0.xx kernels are the 2.0
kernel with bug fixes.

There is no relation between 2.0.x and 2.1.x, other than 2.0.0 and 2.1.0
should have been the same code.

Keep in mind that the 2.odd#.x kernels are experimental, and things that
have worked for years may not work do to rewrite, conflits, too much beer,
etc... use at your own risk.

--
Dan Newcombe                                      newcombe at mordor.clayton.edu
"Maybe you were always beyond my reach and my heart was playing safe, But was
 that love in your eye I saw or the reflection of mine?"  --Marillion