2.6.19 Linux Kernel Released

diegocgteleline.es writes, "After two months, Linux 2.6.19 has been released. It includes the clustering GFS2 filesystem, Ecryptfs, the first developer-oriented version of EXT4, support for the Atmel AVR32 architecture, sleepable RCU, improvements for NUMA-based systems, an "-o flush" mount option aimed at FAT-based hotpluggable media devices (mp3), physical CPU hotplug and memory hot-add in x86-64, support for compiling x86 kernels with the GCC stack protection, and many other things. You can check the full list of changes in LinuxChanges."

This release has been pronounced perfect

This release has been pronounced perfect

It's one of those rare "perfect" kernels. So if it doesn't happen to compile with your config (or it does compile, but then does unspeakable acts of perversion with your pet dachshund), you can rest easy knowing that it's all your own d*mn fault, and you should just fix your evil ways.

Note the marketing prowess on display.
Sex sells, even if it's just an allusion to the "lookin' for love in all the ronngg places" variety.
Stand by for the premiere of 2.6.20 on YouTube, where Linus, speech slurring from too many milkshakes, makes a poopy joke at a puppet show while a cel phone camera is accidentally pointed at him.

Atmel AVR32

I've never heard of it... a quick peek on their website shows [atmel.com]:

For example, the AVR32 can execute quarter-VGA MPEG4 decoding at 30 frames per second (fps) running at just 100 MHz while comparable architectures require 260 MHz and more to decode the same movie stream.

Sounds sweet... how do I get one? Free samples?

Re:Atmel AVR32

Most people are familiar with the 8-bit Atmel AVR [atmel.com] microcontrollers, similar to the Microchip 8-bit PIC [microchip.com] microcontollers. The AVR32 [atmel.com] is a 32-bit microcontoller. I believe it was developed by Atmel to be a easy to mirgrate to target to compete with Freescale's 32-bit [freescale.com] offerings, and various manufacturers' low cost 32-bit ARM [arm.com] processors.

Re:Atmel AVR32

You can get the starter kit from Digi-Key here [digikey.com]. I only knew about this because I bought the AVR starter kit (not AVR32) which was dramatically cheaper - $100 rather than $550. Not sure if this even comes with an AVR32 chip, probably not, but they have that too (133MHz for $37.63 [digikey.com].) Not sure how hard these are to program, but the normal AVR has support for serial in-system programming and if you know your way around an AVR you might be able to use an AVR to make an ISP chip for an AVR32. :)

GFS2

Anyone know if any reviews of GFS2 in actual use compared to other clustered filesystems?

Hotplugging CPU and Memory?!?!?

All I can say is :-O

Sounds like fun

From TF post:
It's one of those rare "perfect" kernels. So if it doesn't happen to compile with your config (or it does compile, but then does unspeakable acts of perversion with your pet dachshund), you can rest easy knowing that it's all your own d*mn fault, and you should just fix your evil ways.

You could send me and the kernel mailing list a note about it anyway, of course. (And perhaps pictures, if your dachshund is involved. Not that we'd be interested, of course. No. Just so that we'd know to avoid it next time).

So.. Who has a dachshund and a camera? And what does a kernel doing unspeakable acts of perversion with a dog look like anyway?

Re:Sounds like fun

And what does a kernel doing unspeakable acts of perversion with a dog look like anyway?

i'd describe it but, it's unspeakable.

this linux thingy must be taking off...

there's a torrent of it on torrentspy...

Do you have no shame?

Dude, pirating Linux off of bittorrent ... how low can you get?

It's people like you that make "Linux Genuine Advantage" necessary.

TPM encryption

Very interesting how ecryptfs [lwn.net] uses the TPM module for encryption. While there is plenty to worry about regarding treacherous computing [wikipedia.org], it is nice to see that the TPM can be put to uses that actually bolster privacy. This still does not prevent a possible future dystopia [gnu.org], but it still goes to show that devices such as TPM are not necessarily "pure evil."

Re:TPM encryption

TPM is neither good nor bad

How operating systems and applications use TPM can be good or evil

In all that I've read about TPM, I've concluded that TPM is not much more than a glorified hardware based public/private key management system. The reference implementations I seen attach to the same slow hardware buses that PS/2 keyboard and mice sit. There is not enough bandwidth on that bus to encrypt/decrypt whole disks in real time.

Slashdot anti-Linux bias

Once again, slashdot reveals its pro-Microsoft, anti-Linux bias. Two stories, one about a new Linux kernel release, and one about Dvorak commenting on a not-quite-as-new Windows release. Which one gets a full story on the front page? I'm getting tired of all the Linux-bashing on this site.

[FWIW] cryptfs

FWIW, I just started using the dm-crypt based cryptfs on my Gentoo system over the past week. (I'm actually running it on top of LVM, which in turn runs on top of the kernel's RAID1.)

Pretty easy to set up, and no trouble so far, but annoying that it asks for the passphrase for each encrypted volume twice during boot, and and doesn't fail gracefully if you mistype anything.

*sniff*

and I don't even have a system available that I can try it out on.

This homeless thing can be real inconvenient.

Vista?

Way to steal Microsoft's thunder!

Re:Really a shame

We're still waiting for your kernel. Just release it when it's perfect, that's fine with us.

Re:Really a shame

They certainly didn't make that mistake with Hurd.