Linux 2.6 Kernel Finished, Says OSDL

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) officially announced that the Linux 2.6 production kernel is complete.

After a three year effort, the kernel was signed off by Linux creator and OSDL Fellow Linus Torvalds and kernel maintainer Andrew Morton on Thursday.

It is available at www.kernel.org or ftp.kernel.org.

The last version of the kernel, Linux 2.4, was released in January 2001. Torvalds released the original Linux kernel in September 1991.

Torvalds and team will begin work on a test kernel update, 2.7, in early 2004, the OSDL said.

"With the new kernel, I think we're getting closer to Linux for everyone," Torvalds said. "I think this is the best yet and I had a lot of fun working on it. I want to thank all of the contributors who joined us."

The Linux 2.6 kernel offers many performance improvements including scalability to 64-CPU system threading, additional memeory support, enhance disk drive, storage and embedded chip support, and desktop improvements for sound, USB and firewire, the OSDL noted.

The enhanced kernel is designed to enhance use of the open source operating system in embedded systems, desktop PCs and telecommunications applications, the OSDL said.