“The long-awaited release of the 2.4 Linux kernel occurred
January 4 without any of the hoopla that typically accompanies a
major software release. Even vaporware announcements in the
proprietary OS market include more banging of the drum. Linus
Torvalds simply sent a short note to LinuxToday saying he’d
released the kernel. No rock band, no professional wrestler on
stage, no laser lights. But even without the fireworks and glitter,
the release generated a lot of excitement. By Monday morning
following the release late Thursday afternoon, the LinuxToday page
carrying Linus’s note had been viewed almost 100,000 times. That’s
an order of magnitude greater than most “big” stories for the
publication.”
“Even after its official release, the 2.4 kernel may not be
included in major distributions for weeks or perhaps months.
Between now and then, however, early adopters will continue to
download and compile the latest version from kernel.org.”
“Henry Hall, head of Linuxcare’s research group, described the
2.4 kernel as an evolutionary release, not a revolutionary one. He
said some of Linuxcare’s corporate customers have been
experimenting with the 2.4 kernel for some time, particularly those
with a need for the vastly improved scalability in SMP (symmetrical
multiprocessor) machines and in networking that kernel 2.4
promises. Linuxcare employees have contributed code to handle
gigabit network cards in the new kernel. The 2.4 kernel fixes the
networking problems (spotlighted by the now infamous Mindcraft
“benchmarks”) experienced in the TCP/IP stack when using multiple
network cards.”