Kernel development cycle
Linux is developed at a fast pace, with a new version being released every 8 to 12 weeks. The way that the version numbers are constructed has changed a bit in recent years. Before July 2011, there was a three number version scheme with version numbers that looked like 2.6.39. The middle number indicated whether it was a developer or stable release; odd numbers (2.1.x, 2.3.x, 2.5.x) were for developers and even numbers were for end users. From version 2.6 onwards, the idea of a long-lived development branch (the odd numbers) was dropped, as it slowed down the rate at which new features were made available to the users. The change in numbering from 2.6.39 to 3.0 in July 2011 was purely because Linus felt that the numbers ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access