2.6.0-test3, stable or unstable

[Darkbolt]

Ok, I know that even number kernels are stable, but considering 2.6.0 HASNT been released yet, would you consider any of the pre/test releases of it to be stable?

Im asking this due to a rather odd argument with a person in the #justlinux irc room, who considers me a stupid newbie basically because I disagreed with him...So Im asking for what all of you say

2.6.0-test3 stable or unstable?

[hardcore]

my 2 cents:

I wouldn't say its stable as of yet, hence the "test" appending the kernel number. Test releases are usually put out to iron out bugs and whatnot. That would explain why there have been three 2.6 test kernels out already; bugs have been found, they fixed em, and they put out another test kernel, and will continue til kernel dev. team feels its "stable".

[ghostwalker]

I have been using the 2.6.0-test? since it has be released. I have had no problems at all. I feel for my hardware it is very stable.

P4S533-VM
00:00.0 Host bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS651 Host (rev 01)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS 530 Virtual PCI-to-PCI bridge (AGP)
00:02.0 ISA bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS962 [MuTIOL Media IO] (rev 04)
00:02.1 SMBus: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]: Unknown device 0016
00:02.5 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE]
00:02.7 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS7012 PCI Audio Accelerator (rev a0)
00:03.0 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS7001 USB Controller (rev 0f)
00:03.1 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS7001 USB Controller (rev 0f)
00:03.2 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS7001 USB Controller (rev 0f)
00:03.3 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS7002 USB 2.0
00:04.0 Ethernet controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 10/100 Ethernet (rev 91)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV18 [GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8x] (rev a2)

768mb ram
60gb harddrive

[ghostwalker]

The nicest thing is not having to use ide-scsi for cdrom's anymore I use IDE only and my VCD's play better with NO distortion at all. My CD-ROM burning speed has improve ever so slightly, 2:35 .vs 2:45 for a 700mb ISO.

[Darkbolt]

darkbolt@slackware:~$ finger @kernel.org
[kernel.org]
The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is: 2.4.21
The latest prepatch for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.4.22-rc2
The latest snapshot for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.4.21-bk30
The latest beta version of the Linux kernel is: 2.6.0-test3
The latest 2.2 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.2.25
The latest 2.0 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.0.39
The latest prepatch for the 2.0 Linux kernel tree is: 2.0.40-rc6
The latest -ac patch to the stable Linux kernels is: 2.4.22-rc2-ac1


Beta's are unstable no?...I believe kernel.org speaks for itself.

[serz]

It's unstable...

Just because it's working perfectly for that person dosn't mean that it's "stable".

[ghostwalker]

I could not agree more with serz. I am currently not using USB, because I have no need for it. My MB is not really bleeding edge so that is very helpful.
Yet, ALSA is awsome. It works right out of the box, just having to turn up the volume.
I have to stress that the IDE fix is totally awsome. VCD viewing is totaly awsome. cdrao util does not support IDE it supports IDE-SCSI. Again, it is for really specific track recording, which I don't currently need.

[mage492]

One thing I AM wondering about, though, is that, since it's an even numbered kernel, doesn't that mean it SHOULD be stable? I mean, we know that it doesn't seem to be (even kernel.org says so), but why did they say .6 instead of calling it .5? It seems to me like they're breaking their own convention, here...

Did they release it (thinking it was stable and safe), then find the bugs after that? How does an experimental kernel get an even version number?

[Darkbolt]

as its out of development, and its currently being tested and getting its last quarks out before 2.6.0 is announced stable

[teval]

They aren't breaking their rules at all.

What happens is, 2.5 was a development edition of the kernel.
New features where added, and others changed. Major changes.
At 2.6 a feature freeze started. Only little small changes are allowed, and the focus shifts from making it have more features, twoards making it run better, more secure, and more reliable.
That's why the betas aren't called 2.6.1, because that's going to be the first 2.6 stable version.

[mage492]

Oh, okay. That makes sense, then. Thanks!

[o0zi]

It really does depend on your definition of stable.

2.6.0-test3 might be fine for desktop users with the occasional crash, but for servers that isn't good enough. There are lots of very important computers running Linux, and they need the most stability they can get.

At the rate they're producing them, we'll be at 2.6-test19 or so before we get 2.6.0!:p

[ghostwalker]

This is the current status of 2.6.0

http://kernelnewbies.org/status/Status-08-Aug-2003.html

[deanrantala]

______________________________________

Slackware + Kernel 2.6 = Happy slack junkie:)

______________________________________

Not to say it doesn't have any bugs - Ive only been using it for a day and a half, but I have been pounding the hell out of it and will continue to do so. It is running great so far and makes my (already fast) slack box run even faster. Go ahead and try it - if you do run into any problems, you will only be helping the evolution of 2.6.

I'm not risking having it on a server or anything right now, I'll leav that to 2.4. But It can't hurt anything really to put it on something at home. And if you do have problems, select the 2.4 kernel on the lilo menu - simple.

[Hayl]

it's beta software and therefore not stable even though it may work fine for some people. it still has bugs which are being worked on. the showstoppers for me are VM bugs and Scheduler bugs that make 2.6.x slower than any of the low-latency patched 2.4.x kernels that are out there.

[Seph64]

I am using 2.6.0-Test3 right now, but with a PS/2 mouse (can't get my USB Mouse to work at the moment). It seems to be pretty stable, but I haven't been using it for long.