Linux Kernel 2.4.21 Released 539
An anonymous reader writes "After > 6 months of waiting, 2.4.21 is here. Lots of cleanups, and a patch which gives a MAJOR boost to the 'feel' of the system under heavy disk IO, especially on IDE systems. As usual, available from your local kernel.org mirror or ftp.COUNTRYCODE.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/! Tidbit: 'Current bandwidth utilization 131.72 Mbit/s '." See the Changelog for new stuff.
Started to think 2.4.x was dead (Score:5, Interesting)
Phathead
BitTorrent (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Started to think 2.4.x was dead (Score:5, Interesting)
Disc IO Related Lockups? (Score:2, Interesting)
Both systems are running 2.4.20. Now, question: are problems like these resolved in 2.4.21 with these IO fixes? Remember, the drives doing the reading are probably fine. The one machine has two, a DVD-ROM and a CD-RW, and the other has a DVD+-RW. All three drives cannot possibly be faulty, nor can both IDE controllers. The problem has got to be with software. I cannot think back to when this began, but it may have been for the life of 2.4.20.
So is there been something screwy with the IDE-CD subsystem in Linux lately?
Re:Quick Question (Score:5, Interesting)
When there's a compelling reason to upgrade. Those fall into two categories:
Any other reason is superfluous, especially for a server machine.
The kernel config writes a .config file in the source root. Use that. If you patch rather than grabbing completely new sources, you won't even need to worry about copying that file around (unless you do a make mrproper, which you probably don't need to do unless stuff starts breaking during compile).
Years ago, back when the kernel was being updated nearly every other week rather than once every few months (2.0/2.2 time frame), I would always download the very latest kernel and compile that. Coincidentally, I was also learning Linux at the time, so I didn't mind spending time on stuff like that, and I was in school which meant a lot more free time. These days, my only linux box is a server, so unless there's a security fix I'm inclined to just leave the box alone. It's certainly easer not to upgrade than it is to upgrade.
Re: RedHat kernels (Score:5, Interesting)
> Hoping RH pushes updated kernels for RH9. Piss-poor IDE disk performance is my one big gripe with my Linux boxen at the moment; whole machine feels like shit when something heavy is running the disk in the background.
\AOL{meetoo}. Actually, even if I just had lots of windows open and not much CPU or disk traffic my UI felt like Windows 95, repeatedly coming to a screeching halt for several seconds at a time, usually when switching from one window or desktop to another.
I finally failed back to an older kernel I still had around, and the problem went away. I don't know whether the problem was with the 2.4.20 series kernels (I tried three) or the rumored Red Hack kernel hack that they purportedly distribute for RH9 (all three I tried were from RH RPMs). I'm just glad I was able to make it go away.
ccache for the compulsive kernel compiler (Score:3, Interesting)
From their page: So, if your normal kernel build command is: then, your ccache version of that command would be: Trust me, it will save you a lot of time, especially if you are constantly tweaking your config settings and recompiling all the time.
If you compile as root, usually the cache directory will be
You can tell ccache to only reserve so much disk space for itself by issuing a command to reserve 100M.
Re:heres how to compile the kernel (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:oops! My bad.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Lots of packages = Choice. I like choice
The fun of Debian comes in when you decide, on the spur of the moment, to try some exotic free software program and can apt-get it in a much less time that it would take to even figure out the name of the RPM you'd need to install on a "normal" Linux system.
Yes, I have heard of the great "apt-get" and will definitely exercise it a bit. I don't know why you have a problem with the naming of RPMs. I find that it is usually the same as the program or package name. Then again, I've been dealing with RPMs almost entirely since '97, when I started out on RH 5.2 Matter of fact, RPMs are a nice idea, just implemented somewhat wrong, IMHO.
Even if the desired install computer doesn't have fast internet access, burning 7 CDs is excessive. There probabably won't even be 2 CDs worth of packages you really want to install. Of the top ten largest packages in Debian, six of them are only desirable for hardcore software developers.
I'm used to swapping 3 discs around during an install... I started out with RedHat & Mandrake...
Anywho, it's pointless, as the downloads are already finished. I've already started burning the images to disc.
Re:Is it worth upgrading for old Red Hat Linux 7.x (Score:3, Interesting)
Also, you might want to give the ALSA drivers a chance. The new kernels are pushing it as the new sound architecture for Linux, and sometimes they make a big difference. Besides, having everything set up for ALSA and running properly will make it easier to move on to 2.6 kernels.
Like I said in my first post, compiling a kernel for a computer of your computer's stature is a matter of copying the old config, checking to see if there's anything else you need to change, and then waiting for a couple minutes. Work a little Grub/Lilo magic, and shzaam!, new kernel. You could be telling me if the new kernel helps within a half hour if you started soon.
If nothing else, IDE I/O is always a good thing to work on. My lowly laptop is definitely getting a 2.4.21, if not a 2.5. It takes me a tad longer; I use the cryptoapi modules and that always seems to take extra time.
Re:oops! My bad.... (Score:3, Interesting)
As in, "Tank, I need a pilot program for a V-212 helicopter."
I always forget to install wget until I type it in and realize I haven't installed it. Five seconds and one apt-get later, I can just hit up twice and enter once.
Re:BitTorrent (Score:2, Interesting)
kernel.org is inappropriate (Score:3, Interesting)