In association with heise online

Figures for recent Linux Kernels

Linux
version
number
of files1
lines of
source code2
development
time
number of
commits3
diffstat4
2.6.20 21280 8102486
(7400843)
66 days 4768 5825 files changed,
 262475 insertions(+),
 136162 deletions(-)
2.6.21 21614 8246470
(7522286)
80 days 5016 6568 files changed,
 319232 insertions(+),
 175247 deletions(-)
2.6.22 22411 8499363
(7744727)
74 days 6526 7620 files changed,
 519591 insertions(+),
 266699 deletions(-)
2.6.23 22530 8566554
(7818168)
93 days 6662 7203 files changed,
 406268 insertions(+),
 339071 deletions(-)
2.6.24 23062 8859629
(8082358)
107 days 9836 10209 files changed,
 776107 insertions(+),
 483031 deletions(-)
2.6.25 23810 9232484
(8396250)
83 days 12243 9738 files changed,
 777371 insertions(+),
 404514 deletions(-)
2.6.26 24270 9411724
(8535933)
88 days 9941 8676 files changed,
 595393 insertions(+),
 416143 deletions(-)
2.6.27 24354 9709868
(8690888)
88 days 10628 15127 files changed,
 1131171 insertions(+),
 912939 deletions(-)
2.6.285 8995 10195402
(9128591)
70 days 8995 11076 files changed,
 975468 insertions(+),
 489931 deletions(-)
1 find . -type f -not -regex '\./\.git/.*' | wc -l
2 find . -type f -not -regex '\./\.git.*' | xargs cat | wc -l (find . -name *.[hcS] -not -regex '\./\.git.*' | xargs cat | wc -l)
3 git-log --no-merges --pretty=oneline v2.6.(x-1)..v2.6.(x) | wc -l
4 ;git diff --shortstat v2.6.(x-1)..v2.6.(x)
5 Status as of 19.12.08 13:00UTC

Summary of 2.6.28, and what's coming with 2.6.29

Linux 2.6.28 includes many innovations that will benefit many a Linux user in the short or long term, although if you don't need one of the new drivers right now, it will mostly likely be the long term. Ext4, for example, may not become really significant until a mainstream distribution uses it as the standard filesystem, and that probably won't happen for a few months. Nor is wireless USB support very important at the moment, because the relevant hardware is still rare, and even more time is likely to go by before everyday desktop systems and routine servers will be able to take advantage of the performance improvements in the memory subsystem. However, the kernel hackers have already made provisions for some future challenges.

Kernel Log Beginner Penguin

Development cycle of the Linux kernel
The open development process (and a deep gaze into the tea leaves) makes it possible for heise online, like the Linux Weather Forecast, a "radar screen" maintained by the Linux Foundation, to make an educated guess about what new features are in store in the next kernel version.

The first ("merge window") phase in the Linux kernel development cycle now begins, immediately following the release of version 2.6.28. This phase, during which Torvalds accepts the comprehensive changes into the main development tree for the next kernel version, customarily lasts for two weeks. Following GEM (graphical environment manager), Intel's developers are going to support kernel-based mode-setting (KMS). The developers of the real-time tree are apparently also going to transfer some of the real-time extensions for Linux back into the main development tree. It appears rather unlikely at the moment that the code will manage to set up a privileged administrative Xen domain (Dom0) in 2.6.29, although this can't be totally excluded.

As usual, the Kernel Log, on heise online UK and in c't, in the coming weeks will be reporting on the main innovations included in the main development line of Linux, and on other developments relating to the Linux kernel. These include new versions of the stable kernel series (2.6.x.y) that will, in the next few weeks, probably correct the occasional error that the kernel hackers and testers overlooked while developing 2.6.28. Torvalds will probably release Linux version 2.6.28 in time for CeBIT in early March, or shortly thereafter. As usual, the changes will be described in a detailed kernel log like this one at heise online UK.

(thl/c't)

Appendix:

Infrastructure changes

Changes to drivers and surrounding subsystems

Kernel Log Penguin Next: Appendix - changes in the infrastructure

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