Linus Torvalds and Andrew Morton Release Linux Kernel 2.6 Test9 Version
October 27 2003 - 11:46AM
PR Newswire (US)
Linus Torvalds and Andrew Morton Release Linux Kernel 2.6 Test9
Version Call for Broad Industry Testing of Pre-Production Linux
Kernel in Enterprise Environments and by Independent Software
Vendors BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open Source
Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium of leading technology
companies dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux, today
announced the release of a new 2.6 Linux test kernel version from
Linux creator Linus Torvalds and 2.6 kernel maintainer Andrew
Morton that is ready for enterprise testing. The software release
-- available on the Web at http://www.kernel.org/ or
ftp://ftp.kernel.org -- is called the test9 release version of the
Linux 2.6 kernel. It is a significant milestone in the development
of the final production version of the new 2.6 Linux kernel. OSDL
is calling on major Linux customers, independent software vendors
(ISVs) and leading systems providers to target the test9 release
version for testing, validation and enhancement to prepare for the
next production release of Linux. "Now is when we want big
companies and software vendors to step in and hammer on the kernel
so we can get their ideas into the final production release of 2.6
Linux," said OSDL Fellow Linus Torvalds. "This is their last big
chance." When Torvalds and Morton released the first 2.6 kernel
test version in July, they established stable APIs, including Posix
and thread interfaces. OSDL has performed a non-stop series of
performance and regression tests on the kernel at its data center
test Lab facilities in Portland, Oregon and Yokohama, Japan. The
Lab's Linux test infrastructure consists of OSDL's Scalable Test
Platform (STP) and Patch Lifecycle Manager(PLM) systems, plus a
compile regression test platform. The Lab publishes testing results
online at http://www.osdl.org/projects/26lnxstblztn/results/. The
OSDL testing infrastructure automatically tracks the progress of
kernel development, checking new patches when they are released.
OSDL has created a set of database workload tests based on Fair Use
implementation of key Transaction Processing Council (TPC) tests,
and provides source code for other test suites, including an
updated version of the AIM7 and AIM9 tests. All OSDL test code is
freely available under an open source license. OSDL is continuously
performing tests on enterprise hardware configurations and
publishes those results online at http://www.osdl.org/stp. The Lab
encourages users of the Linux-2.6.0-test9 to take advantage of OSDL
test workloads, available online at OSDL or on Sourceforge, and to
report back on their experiences and results. "The new 2.6 Linux
kernel really broadens the markets where Linux can replace legacy
platforms," said Timothy Witham, OSDL Lab director. "It has key new
features that allow Linux to scale dramatically up to support 32 or
more processors and down to run in a wide variety of consumer and
industrial devices, including hundreds of new low-cost embedded
processors." Among the major improvements in the new 2.6 kernel
compared to the current production 2.4 Linux kernel released in
January 2001 are: 1. Improved scalability. It has been tested on up
to 64-way systems. It is ready for production use on 32-way
machines. Added new CPU scheduler, memory management and file
system code. Supports up to 8Gb of memory on IA-32 systems. 2.
Faster threading. New Native Posix Thread Library for Linux (NPTL)
results in test times on 100,000 threads reduced from 15 minutes to
2 seconds for significantly faster system performance under heavy
loads. 3. Enhanced driver layer. I/O devices such as disks perform
better and are easier to manage. New features include: Logical
Volume Management (LVM), sysfs, device mapper, reduced lock
contention. 4. Support for many more embedded device applications.
uClinux integration brings new support for low-cost, low-power CPUs
without memory management units which are commonly used in embedded
devices. 5. Improved desktop features. Hot plug devices, including
firewire and USB, are dramatically improved. Mouse, video, and
sound are smoother and perform better. New Advanced Linux Sound
Architecture (ALSA) brings professional music-studio quality audio.
About Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) OSDL -- home to Linus
Torvalds, the creator of Linux -- is dedicated to accelerating the
growth and adoption of Linux in the enterprise. Founded in 2000 and
supported by a global consortium of IT industry leaders, OSDL is a
non-profit organization that provides state-of the-art computing
and test facilities in the United States and Japan available to
developers around the world. OSDL members include Alcatel, Cisco,
Computer Associates, Dell, Ericsson, Force Computers, Fujitsu, HP,
Hitachi, IBM, Intel, Linuxcare, Miracle Linux Corporation,
Mitsubishi Electric, MontaVista Software, NEC Corporation, Nokia,
NTT DATA INTELLILINK, Red Hat, Sun Microsystems, Sun Microsystems,
SUSE LINUX, TimeSys, Toshiba, Transmeta Corporation, Turbolinux,
Ulticom, Unilever and VA Software. Visit OSDL on the Web at
http://www.osdl.org/ . NOTE: OSDL is a trademark of Open Source
Development Labs, Inc. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Third party marks and brands are the property of their respective
holders. DATASOURCE: Open Source Development Labs CONTACT: Craig
Oda of Page One PR, +1-650-473-0600, ext. 102, or , for OSDL; or
Nelson B. Pratt, Marketing Director of OSDL, +1-503-626-2455, ext.
47, or Web site: http://www.osdl.org/
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