32BitsOnline: Linux Kernel 2.4 Update Nov 1, 1999, 22 :17 UTC (3 Talkback[s]) (12667 reads) (Other stories by Ido Dubrawsky)
"As we approach the end of this year, we mark approximately one year since the release of kernel version 2.2. Linux 2.2 was a
significant improvement over the 2.0 kernels. Some of the many new features found in 2.2 were multiple supported
filesystems, increased scalability, better caching in the virtual file system, support for miscellaneous binaries and infrared
devices. Approaching on the horizon is not just a new year, but the next Linux kernel version, 2.4. As I write this, the
development kernels are up to version 2.3.19 and are in a state of "feature freeze". Therefore, no new features are going to
be added to the kernel and the goal of the developers now is to clean up the current code and get it ready for production
use and widespread distribution."
"Kernel 2.4 is not as much of a step up from 2.2 as the 2.2 kernels were from the 2.0 kernels. This article is an attempt to
provide some information to those who are wondering what exactly is "over the horizon" in regards to the new kernel version.
This is the first in a series of articles which will cover a variety of different subsystems that have undergone overhaul and
had many (some not so many) features added...."
"The Linux kernel is the heart of the operating system. As with any UNIX flavor, the kernel provides the necessary resource
allocations, the virtual filesystem layer, memory management, process management, and low-level drivers for working with
the hardware. It is this kernel which drives the system. With the upcoming release of version 2.4, the Linux kernel has truly
come into its own."
