2.6.31 Tracking

Linux 2.6.31 is now out. The H has an in-depth feature "The Next Round: The New Features of Linux 2.6.31" with all the details.

On this page, The H has tracked all the Linux Kernel 2.6.31 news; from announcements to details of what features and fixes are going in the next version of the Linux Kernel.

• Kernel Log: Main development phase of Linux 2.6.31 completed
  Linux 2.6.31 offers features like KMS for Radeon graphics hardware, the performance counter infrastructure, Btrfs improvements, and drivers for Creative's Sound Blaster X-Fi as well as USB 3.0

• Kernel Log - Coming in 2.6.31 - Part 1: New Wi-Fi drivers and other network-related changes
  Linux 2.6.31 will include a new Wi-Fi driver for Intel chips and will be WPAN-capable in accordance with IEEE 802.15.4. The developers have also improved support for Ralink Wi-Fi components and for newer power saving technologies

• Kernel Log - Coming in 2.6.31 - Part 2: Graphics, audio and video
  Linux 2.6.31 will offer Kernel-Based Mode-Setting for Radeon graphics chips. The developers have included new drivers for X-Fi sound cards and for Intel's "Next-Generation Graphics Device". Improvements also affect the drivers for webcams and TV hardware

• Kernel Log – Coming in 2.6.31 - Part 3: Storage and file systems
  Experimental file system Btrfs, billed as the "next generation file system for Linux", should now be even faster. Libata drivers for IDE/PATA adaptors are pushing aside the IDE subsystem. The first components for defragmenting Ext4 file systems have been merged into the main development tree. Systems with Intel ATA chip-sets now boot faster thanks to parallel hardware scanning.

• Kernel Log - Coming in 2.6.31 – Part 4: Tracing, architecture, virtualisation
  New performance counters allow a detailed analysis of the runtime behaviour of program code. The recently introduced tracing infrastructure has been further modified by the developers. Other changes affect the architecture and the virtualisation code.

• Kernel Log - Coming in 2.6.31 - Part 5: CUSE, USB 3.0, FireWire networking and the rest
  New drivers for USB 3.0 and Acer's Aspire One netbook. Distributions to use the new FireWire stack that now offers LAN support. CUSE emulates Open Sound System via a userspace program.

• The Next Round: The New Features of Linux 2.6.31
  The latest version of Linux offers a whole host of new features – for example a USB 3.0 infrastructure, drivers for the Sound Blaster X-Fi, KMS support for Radeon chips and improved versions of Btrfs and Ext4. However, as is traditional with new Linux versions in the main development branch, this is only the tip of the iceberg.