Linux Kernel 2.6.11 Released

Xpilot writes "Linus Torvalds has just announced the availability of the newest Linux kernel release, 2.6.11. The newest addition to Linux that's stirring up some excitement is the inclusion of Infiniband support. You can get it from the usual mirrors at http://kernel.org/mirrors."

To Infiniband

[Anonymous Coward]

And beyond!

infiniband.....

[Anonymous Coward]

does that mean it goes PAST 11?

Knoppix jumped the gun...

[carninja]

Looks like Knoppix jumped the gun by including the 2.6 kernel in the new distro. If they had just waited a few hours...

Re:infiniband?

[Anonymous Coward]

it is quite easy: magic

For those who dont know

[Anonymous Coward]

Infiniband is the home planet of Buzz Lightyear

Re:infiniband.....

[Anonymous Coward]

Nigel: "You're up to 11 on your server and up to 11 on your network and you need that extra little push to set it over the top and you got nowhere else to go. So this amp goes to infinity."

Interviewer: "I see. But why not just make 11 louder?"

Nigel: "But it goes to infinity."

Interviewer: "Yeah, but what if you just made 11 as loud as infinity?"

Nigel: "But...it goes to infinity."

Re:Linux is a kernel

[Anonymous Coward]

Absolutely correct. Linux is clearly no higher rank than major.

Not -so-natural high

[necrodeep]

Kernel junkies of the world unite! Your next fix has arrived!

It wouldn't be the first time:

[Mr Guy]

# urpmi --test magic
The following packages contain magic:
libmagic1
libmagic1-devel
libmagic1-stat ic-devel
magicdev
magicpoint
mirrormagic
php-i magick
php-mime_magic

Lies, Danm lies and Changelogs

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

So it's now _officially_ all bug-free.

Torvalds, you scoundrel you!
Next you'll be telling us the kernel was made by the toothfairy for a lower TCO than windows...
Oh wait..

A kernel patch for supercomputers ?

[Gopal.V]

TFA mentions that

>InfiniBand, which is derived from its underlying concept of "infinite bandwidth," is a switched fabric interconnect technology for high-performance network devices that is common in a number of supercomputer clusters.

So that works only for supercomputer clusters ?.

Interestingly, the ChangeLog has some very small number of entries. The one I found most fun was:-

Randy Dunlap:
o [ide] make 1-bit fields unsigned

I mean, other wise they would end up as "-1" or "0" (when you assume in code that "0" or "1" for 1 -bit fields). How did a sign-extension in the IDE (must be heavily used) be missed till version 2.6 ??. Typically, this looks like the average release - some bug fixes and a couple of big features which nobody (well almost nobody) would use on their boxes.

Re:infiniband?

[Kjella]

How does linux get past physical hardware limitations that other os's can't?

Marketing. They transcend the physically possible on a regular basis. Though you missed the source. "How does [InfiniBand] get past physical hardware limitations that other [hardware] can't?" It is their marketing fluff, Linux merely supports the technology.

Kjella

Inspiration from Red Dwarf:

[T-Kir]

Infiniband welcomes careful drivers.

:-D

Re:Knoppix jumped the gun...

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, all those people waiting to boot their supercomputers using Knoppix to take advantage of Infiniband will just have to keep waiting.

Re:infiniband?

[MrHanky]

It's a rift in the time-space continuum.

Re:infiniband?

[dsginter]

Umm... I don't know about you... but that description didn't help me much... infinite bandwidth? What is this? How is this?

Agreed.

They should have called it "SynerBand" as in, "Synergized Bandwidth". Alternatively, eSynerBand-Numa.iFlex2@@@ would have been a good choice.

Score thus far

[kmartshopper]

Linux 2.6.11 SCO 0 Better luck next time

Time to...

[Cyn]

... update your SCO licenses! /rimshot

Show of hands...

[Cyn]

Who had been running 2.6.9 or earlier and just finished making a 2.6.10 kernel for the first time (e.g. because they suddenly needed new hardware support).

*rhand* *grouse*

Re:infiniband?

[suso]

is basically the same as the change from linear, Token Ring-ish networks to big Ethernet meshes ...

Is that like Tolkien Elv-ish?

Re:It wouldn't be the first time:

[Anonymous Coward]

You should try Debian:

$ apt-cache search magic | wc -l
125
$ apt-cache search magick | wc -l
37

And that's for the PPC version.

ahem..

[carlmenezes]

Google knows all.

err...actually, google knows all who know all :)

Re:infiniband?

[StandardDeviant]

It is mysterious and powerful. In fact, it's mystery is only exceeded by its power. ;)

Re:infiniband?

[Nimrangul]

I was thinking before I replied to this, because I know a reponse that is funny to me, goes like this: So what is it? Then when explained the response is: So what is it? Then when explained again the response is: So what is it? Only kidding. But jeese, does anyone watch Red Dwarf anymore? Most people would just think I am a jackass, not that they'd be wrong.