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Linux 2.2.0pre9 = 2.2.0 Final (Almost) 73

Posted by CmdrTaco from the celebrate-good-times dept.
Planetes writes "Here's a post from Linus straight off linux-kernel (I only got it on my e-mail a few minutes ago) (I've attached it below. "
The following was written by Linus and posted to linux-kernel

there's now a 2.2.0-pre9 on ftp.kernel.org, and when you compile it it will call itself 2.2.0-final. The reason is fairly obvious: enough is enough, and I can't make pre-kernels forever, it just dilutes the whole idea. The only reason the tar-file is not called 2.2.0 is that I want to avoid having any embarrassing typos that cause it to not compile under reasonable configurations or something like that. Unreasonable configurations I no longer care about.

Every program has bugs, and I'm sure there are still bugs in this. Get over it - we've done our best, and nobody ever believed that there wouldn't be 2.2.x kernels to fix problems as they come up, and delaying 2.2.0 forever is not an option.

I have a wedding anniversary and a company party coming up, so I'm taking a few days off - when I get back I expect to take this current 2.2.0-final and just remove the "-final" from the Makefile, and that will be it. I suspect somebody _will_ find something embarrassing enough that I would fix it too, but let's basically avoid planning on that.

In short, before you post a bug-report about 2.2.0-final, I'd like you to have the following simple guidelines:

"Is this something Linus would be embarrassed enough about that he would wear a brown paper bag over his head for a month?"

and

"Is this something that normal people would ever really care deeply about?"

If the answer to either question is "probably not", then please consider just politely discussing it as a curiosity on the kernel mailing lists rather than even sending email about it to me: I've been too busy the last few weeks, and I'd really appreciate it if I could just forget the worries of a release for a few days..

But if you find something hilariously stupid I did, feel free to share it with me, and we'll laugh about it together (and I'll avoid wearing the brown paper bag on my head during the month of February). Do we have a deal?

I've seen people working on a 2.2.0 announcement, and I'm happy - I've been too busy to think straight, much less worry about details like that. If everything turns out ok, I'll have a few memorable bloopers in my mailbox but nothing worse than that, and I can sit down and actually read the announcement texts that people have been discussing.

ObFeatures:

  • m68k sync
  • various minor driver fixes (irda, net drivers, scsi, video, isdn)
  • adjtimex update to the latest standards
  • vfat silly buglet fix
  • semaphores work on alpha again
  • drop the inline strstr() that gcc got wrong whatever we did
  • kswapd needed to be a bit more aggressive
  • minor TCP retransmission and delack fixes

Until Monday,

Linus

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Linux 2.2.0pre9 = 2.2.0 Final (Almost) More

Linux 2.2.0pre9 = 2.2.0 Final (Almost)

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  • We've come a long way... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I remember installing Linux 1.2.8... It was around August/September 1995.

    I loved it - it worked like a dream and still does, but then it was a small thing not many people were using.

    Four years on, I can't help but feel a twinge that we're on the verge of something really momentous. Even unparallelled in Software Engineering.

    We've all done the work in promoting a system that really deserved the attention we gave it.

    Somehow I think 1999 will really be something.

    Let's pat ourselves all on the back and give Linus the heartiest pat of all.

  • 2.2.0pre switch too fast. (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    In my humble opinion, Linus changed over to the 2.2.0pre designation too early. I understand why he did it, he wanted to make the code freeze obvious to everyone..he wanted to force convergence. However, it seems like everyone went into "panic" mode and forced a whole bunch of changes in a short period of time..causing all kinds of things to break from one kernel to the next. What he's calling pre9 should have been pre1..there are still some polishing bugs to get fixed (warnings in compilation, error messages from make xconfig...options that you cannot SELECT in make xconfig (lots of frame buffer stuff) and other small error messages.). Oh, and that big oops whenever bt848 is compiled into the kernel. :-(

    As a result, the first REALLY stable kernel in this series will probably be 2.2.1, not 2.2.0 like we had hoped. :-(

    Technical question:

    I ran pre8 last night with an ATI RAGE II, and I used the frame-buffer. When I started X, the display was very distorted with buzzing vertical lines down several parts of the screen, and no amount of tuning with xvidtune seemed to help. Is there a way to get X and vga frame-buffers to cooperate?

    jce2@po.cwru.edu

  • Good to see that Linus know all of us. (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Linus knows that 2.2.0 won't be perfect, but its about time to put the sucker away to lock things down. 2.2.1 will be coming soon and we'll all jump there really quickly.

  • Does Linus seem irritated to anyone? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    From the mail messages I've seen on /. and the posts I've seen from the da man himself, I was wondering if anyone else seems to believe Linus is irritated a majority of the time. It's almost as if he doesn't want to work on the kernel anymore!

    - Shaheen Gandhi
    gandhimail@worldnet.att.net

  • Feel free to sing along.

    You say L ih nucks
    I say L ai nucks
    He says L ee nucks

    We all say Linux!


    ----------------- ------------ ---- --- - - - -
  • When's 2.4 coming out?!?

    (grin)

  • 3c59x? (Score:1)

    by voidptr ( 609 )
    Anyone else using 2.2.0-pre9 with the 3c59x "Vortex/Boomerang" network card? DHCP stopped functioning on mine somewhere between 2.0.36 and 2.2. I tried compiling it into the kernel (Like it is with 2.0.36) and as a module.
  • Posted by neuralfraud:

    Well its amazing to see how fast the kernel is being developed, 2.2 pre 9 now.. cant wait to get it on my server!

  • Posted by alexeir:

    I have been trying to read through all of the changelogs for each revision of the 2.1.x kernel and it is way too much stuff to digest.

    Is there a place I can find a authoritative document that lists exactly what the major and minor changes are between 2.0 and 2.2? This would make the significance of the release even clearer to others (esp if there is to be any official press on this matter, now with the huge public interest in Linux and other open source projects).


    Thanks!
  • Posted by Pepi:

    I know the site is currently down, but DaveM is working on getting another machine up and running. AFAIR the Sparc merge is bound for 2.2.1, so go grab the cvs version as soon as it gets going.
  • I'm compiling on my Intel and Alpha boxes as we speak. If only my powerpc were online right now I'd start building on that also.

    I've been using the pre's since about 2.1.100 and for the most part they have been incredibly stable for me on intel. Alpha is a little spottier, but that doesn't surprise me.
  • Well, it's going to be a little complicated for some :-) I have actually "rpm'ed" in my last two kernel upgrades, which hasn't been that bad. But, going to 2.2.0 will go to IP chains (?) which might totally screw up my home LAN...

    If it weren't for that, I would be happy if Red Hat did NOT come out with a new distribution just because of 2.2.0, and just put it in the updates. Then, they could push/wait for Gnome 1.0, and get rid of the awful default FVWM95 crud, and release "6.0" which would be cool. But... It's no doubt a quite complex issue, do you wait a little while and "get it all right" or do you jump on the bandwagon and try to be "The First" to do a 2.2.x distribution?

  • Please don't download the complete source everytime a new kernel is released. Doing so is a huge waste of bandwidth and needlessly ties up the servers, preventing other people from accessing it. Get the complete source once and download only the new patch each time thereafter.

    -diaphanous
  • He just needs a vacation.

  • Next release, of course. In Debian there have been jokes about freezing 2.2 as soon as 2.1 is released, or even before that, because when we get to release 2.1 there'll be kernels 2.2 and GNOME 1.0 around so Debian will be released outdated... :-)
  • The 2.1.x and 2.2.0pre series have all run great for me (I have pretty standard configs on all my machines)..

    I came in late in the game of 2.1, and personally I'm looking forward to riding the rollercoaster that will be 2.3.x and 2.4.0pre (or 3.0.0?).

    This will definatley be an interesting year for Linux, as if that weren't obvious.
  • So what if he did? The idea was to get the kernel out. Freezing is a good thing because developement can go on forever tring to get new features included and perfected. It's just not realistic. Take the new things that work and publish them now. There's plenty of time for finish work to be included in the 2.2.x series.
    ---------
  • 'nuff said. The details still need to be worked out, but the transition will be almost immediately. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 2.2-based PPC distros out the door before other platforms. :)
  • PPP doesn't work for me on this release but it does on 2.0.36

    My setup *blush*:

    P100, triton II, 512KB cache, 64MB
    + 1.2GB disk +V90 modem on "com 2"

    My 2p's worth
  • Oh some people just see the bad signs. When 2.2.0 is released you should celebrate instead.

    Have you ever released software? At some time project leaders and programmers get very frustrated when they think they are done, but yet still not there. Especially those in charge. I think that Linus has more pressure then you could imagine. It's good that Alan Cox relieves some of the pressure on Linus.

    This is just one more step to World Domination Fast. ;-)
  • Couldn't get 2.2.0 to boot :(. Kernel panic,
    resulting from no driver for hda. What's the deal?
  • Does anyone know offhand if 2.2 has any USB
    support? I am particularly interested in using
    a SANE supported scanner (that also may use USB)
    under Linux.

    Rasp
  • patch-2.2.0-pre9 did not work for me. The patch applied without complaint, but then the make dep failed b/c the ner irlpt directory does not exist. Had to waste bw and d/l the whole thing.

  • Well I have 2.2.0-final on my Slackware-Current
    box. It absolutely smokes!! Stable too and thats with libc 5.4.46. I will be making glibc the primary next. Slackware 3.7 probably will be glibc/2.2. As soon as pre8 came out I noticed a huge performance boost on my machine. I use IBM 6x86 MII CPU's exclusively(P300/P333).
  • Just downloaded pre9 and I can't compile pcmcia-cs-3.0.7 with it. It fails on /usr/src/linux/drivers/net/8390.c.

    Anyone else with this problem?
  • "I've seen people working on a 2.2.0 announcement, and I'm happy - I've been too busy to think straight, much less worry about details like that." Seems like he like he is backing up the press release draft.. So please dont flame [slashdot.org] ppl who are responsible for making one. BTW, I would like to thank woot on this. He's been doing a great job and Already the 7 th draft [tip.net.au] is out. Good job..
    --
  • Wow, Thanks Linus and the whole linux team. Your guys really do awsome work.
    2.2.0-final compiled in 2 minutes and 30 seconds ( including modules ). I've run 2.2pre4 and up on
    a duel PII 450 with 384 MB Ram, Netteligent ethernet controller and a DPT Smart RAID IV raid controller.
    It sings wonderfuly. I like the fast that it's no longer necesary to put an append="mem in lilo now.

    Anyway, thanks. Take a break you deserve it.

    Andrew N.
  • Since WHEN did we care what the version was? As soon as a new one comes out we update! You can tell what the average linux system uptime is by simply looking at when the last kernel patch was released...

    This release is just for the normals to say "it's not development". The word "stable" has special meaning to biologists - dead.



    --
  • Wow. it supports the new SGI machines that have been out a cold 10 days.

    It's not an NT-only machine if Linux support lags for only 10 days, is it?
  • Linus said it himself that he doesn't care how anyone pronounces it.

    SO IF YOU DON'T PRONOUNCE IT 'Windows' YOU'LL BE FINE!

    Accipiter
  • Looks like Slackware's pppsetup isn't gonna cut it on 2.2.0. Apparently cuaX's are obsolete, and have been replaced with ttysX's. Changing the /dev lines in the config files doesn't help. Anyone got any ideas?
  • There was a diff out there on the
    kernel ftp sites.
    check out pib/linux/kernel/davem/

    The diff file I got was for 2.2.0pre7.
    After that it compiled
  • Since he started by pronouncing it LEE-nooks, people assumed it rhymed with his name (LEE-noos as he pronounces it) and most yanks pronounce it LYE-nuks to rhyme with the american pronunciation of Linus. This is how I pronounced it for ages, but recently, I've heard clips of Torvalds pronouncing it LINN-nuks (much less heavily accented), and Bob Young pronouncing it LINN-nuks, and Ralph Nader, and so on... So I've taken to calling it LINN-nuks.

    Linus will swear up and down that there's no one true pronunciation. I think he likes the fact that it makes people talk about it :)
  • The ants go marching on and on..
    Another small step for Linux, and another victory for the public.

    (I wonder which ant invented the single file line. That ant must be totally revered among ant kind.)
  • I thought Linus's posting seemed very irritative.
    It's like he's sick of the whole thing (which I wouldnt be too surprised if he was, after working for a decade on the same code..) You know the saying: love->marriage->familiriaty->boredome

    Personally, I dont think the kernel should have been released this early. Only worrying about the 'normal' people is for companies to do. I believe that if you're going to put a release date on it, it should be as polished as possible, but I dont work on the code, so I have no real say in this.

    The final point is, it really doesnt matter what the kernel label is. If Linus took the 2.2pre9 kernel and re-labeled it 1.2.13, would it be any different of a kernel? I think people have been putting way too much pressure on the linux team to "deliver" on a "stable" version. The fact is, they're very stable already, so go ahead and use the 'pre'. I think Linus and perhaps the whole team is annoyed because of all the pressure on them to deliver an even release. In the end, I would consider it a lot worse if linux 2.2 came out with embarassing bugs today, than if it came out with very little or no bugs this day next year.

    That's my rant.

    -Laxative
  • Party on. Have a beer on me.

    ~afniv
    "Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
    "We could be happy if the air was as pure as the beer"
  • it's a finnish name, not an english name, so you have to pronounce it like it is: "Leenuhks"
  • >IT IS NOT A CURE FOR DISEASE.

    I used to have these awful boils all over my body before I used Linux. Now they're much better.
  • My current linux box is humming along on 2.0.35 that sourced from a Slackware install and a lot of source compiles. I'm real interested in doing a fresh re-install using RedHat, because I want to get Enlightenment/Gnome going, as well as Wine, and the problems of the E dependencies and the Wine dependency on Glibc2 has kept me from putting the time in to play with them.

    So my question is for those familiar with RH:
    How much of what I need to get a 2.2.x/Glibc2 RH machine can I get from the 5.2 release? I'm hoping it will be as simple as just downloading the new kernel source, compile, lilo, done. Any word on the move from 5.2 to the pre-releases?

    If it would take too much time, I'll just wait for a new release from RH, but I've got the gumption to do it now.

    Any tips, suggestions, pitfalls? My current machine is used primarily for IP masquerading and Samba serving to my Windows box, web serving, and perl scripting, but I want to start to use X a lot more and start GTK-ing and Gnoming.

  • i know i should pull the source and read all the info, but i'm at work, and i don't have that luxury... well, okay, i do. but i'm lazy.

    just curious whether i can pull the latest and compile w/o trouble - i haven't been keeping up w/ dev kernels, and i basically was curious whether some stuff won't run now, or if i need to upgrade packages and the like....

    right now i've got a very much updated Debian 2.0 system (almost all Slink, if i'm not mistaken).

    thanks in advance.

  • - m68k sync
    - various minor driver fixes (irda, net drivers, scsi, video, isdn)
    - SGI Visual Workstation support --- THIS LINE WAS THERE WHEN *I* GOT Linus' POSTING
    - adjtimex update to the latest standards
    - vfat silly buglet fix
    - semaphores work on alpha again
    - drop the inline strstr() that gcc got wrong whatever we did
    - kswapd needed to be a bit more aggressive
    - minor TCP retransmission and delack fixes
  • Finnally, This is great. Now I want Gnome 1.0, to go with it. World Domination is at hand.

    -----------------------------------------------
    Run, run, my friend, the computers will follow no one.
  • Yeah!
    Wheeeehaaa!

    P.S.
    Try to say it in one sentance with "Y2K problem (oops, i meant Windows2000) will be delayed to october 1999.
    Wheeeha.

  • WooHoo (Score:1)

    by AmirS ( 15116 )
    My LinuxBox is going to like this.

    Let's celebrate!
  • After upgrading my RH 5.2 system to 2.2.0, my mouse broke in Xfree86. I have a PS/2 Logitech wheel mouse. It was set to use the IntellimousePS/2 protocol, which caused it to jump around the screen when the mouse moved. Resetting the mouse mode to plain PS/2 fixed the problem, but of course now my wheel doesn't work. Any advice, anyone?
  • I have used the dev tree for a long time, and
    it have never crashed my computer. Except for
    once. And you have to take in account that I
    use Pentium GCC...so it's always been pretty
    stable...so for me it won't make any big diff.

    But I do admit that I still will have sweet(umm..)
    dreams tonight...

    I'll take that drink, even though am not legally
    old enough ;)

    A toast for Linus, Alan and all the other guys
    who have made linux what it is 2day!!!
  • This is probably one of the greatest efforts in the whole history of mankind. I would have helped a lot more if I hadn't sell my soul to the devil (i.e., I am working with Microsoft products). Anyway I will help debugging 2.2.0-final on my machine :)

    Go Penguin!
  • Probably not long. I bet the SuSE 6.0 distribution has just been waiting for this... plus odds and sods of testing and bugfixing. I'm running the beta now with 2.2.0pre9 as of earlier today and it seems fine to me.
  • With this new release we shall not be suppressed!
    We shall run roughshod over the meager defenses of the opposition! This glorious new weapon of the righteous shall rain down judgement on all the nonbelievers! Who now can stand against us? Let us continue on the path and forge a new way for the enlightened!
    Praise the Laser Project! Praise the Force Field!

    I hope it's in the next Slackware release....
  • a new version of userland nfs-server, pcmcia-cs, and util-linux is required with pre9

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