Linus Torvalds released the final 2.6.1 Linux kernel. This release has a lot of changes since 2.6.0, many things have been merged from the -mm tree. This release includes a patch for the mremap() vulnerability.
Linux Kernel 2.6.1 Released
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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This is the best I could have hoped for… a patch which fixes both mremap() and includes the -mm patchset.
Now all I’m curious about is whether or not the IDE barrier patch has been included…
Running beautifully here, with ati fglrx too.
2.6.1-mm1 is out too. Probably not bugfixes – otherwise it would been included.
Works fine here
Linux edoras 2.6.1-mm1 #2 Fri Jan 9 09:57:02 EST 2004 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux
I am new to Linux and I was just wondering, how often are new kernels released? Also, is it necessary to upgrade to every new kernel, or can I stay with an older one, such as 2.4.20?
These kernels can come out as frequently as every other week. No I would not recommend 2.4.20, as it has known security holes. You need to patch up to 2.4.24, or upgrade to 2.6.1 (not 2.6.0- also affected by security problem).
While I don’t rate it as a ‘benchmark’, I get 3096 fps with 2.6.1, compared to 2935 with test11. Nothing else changed.
(9600XT, 2x XP2000+)
Do you have your FPS stats for 2.4.24? Does anyone have any “desktop” related benchmarks from 2.4.24 to 2.6.x?
He really only needs to update if its a remotely exploitable vulnernability. He also needs to have a proper firewall blocking the ports of all the apps his distro might be running by default. I’d have to guess that his distro, having 2.4.20, probably has apps that are more likely to be vulnerable. Either way. Firewall. Then you dont have to care.
2.6.0’s performance is supposedly much better. But i cant even remember how fast my 2.4.20-ck6 was…i loved it. I wonder if my quake2 performance problems are because of 2.6.1
There are a couple of rules:
– If it says in the release notes to upgrade, than do it, because that indicates that there was a critical security fix.
– If you want to be an early-adopter, then you can upgrade to 2.6.0. Otherwise, wait awhile for the first several 2.6.x releases to come out, then upgrade.
– At the beginning of a new series (like now) you want to upgrade to each full release, because major things are still being fixed.
– Once the kernel is mature (like 2.4 is now) you usually don’t have to upgrade at all unless the new kernel has some features you want.
Do you have your FPS stats for 2.4.24?
Not with this card, only got it recently and I’ve been on 2.6 since the early tests. I used to get ~1900 fps with a GF3 Ti200 in 2.4.21 with pre-empt patches, using nvidias module.
if the ACPI in 2.6 is ‘better’ than in 2.4?
ACPI in FreeBSD 5.x works flawlessly for me, but Linux 2.4 ACPI crashes the same machine hard. I know folks who have had the opposite experiences. Has much changed in the Linux implementation since 2.4?
“This release includes a patch for the mremap() vulnerability.”
Is this mremap() issue being pounded into the ground or what? We got the point that it was already fixed (in fact, it was fixed long before OSNews ever got around to reporting it), so please can we just move on?
Sorry for being aggitated, Eugenia, but I’ve been reading this baited topic for way too long now.
The news on the kernel versions is great, though, so keep that coming!
No, I think its great that it’s there in the article summary. No need for me to remind others now. 😉
Good to hear that ATI flgx is running good on it. I’ll be recompiling it for my ATI Radeon 9600 Pro Mobile, kernel 2.4.21 on my Slackware 9.1 notebook soon enough because I had to downgrade from 2.4.22 to get my Linksys WC411 v.4 wireless to work. Hopefully, realtek can get some drivers ready for 2.6.x soon. I’ve heard lots of good things about 2.6.x.
Good to hear that ATI flgx is running good on it.
I really wanted to buy a nvidia card in order to keep the good compat. with linux, but the delayed launch of the 5700U in the UK was the last straw for me. I just want to let people know that although it’s possible to get the ATI cards to work great, it’s not childs play just yet. You’ll definitely want to bookmark the http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=61“> .
Maybe i missed something but is this release of the 2.6 kernel or just another revison of 2.6 in development?
Does anybody know when we will see a distro with 2.6.1 as the default kernel? Mabe with KDE 3.2 and the last release of XFree.
I realy don’t want to try the Mandrake 10 Alpha/preview release. Seem to soon.
Thanks!
Proably Fedora Core 2, but youll have to wait until around April-ish
This is the second “stable” release of the 2.6.x line.
“- If it says in the release notes to upgrade, than do it, because that indicates that there was a critical security fix.”
All agreed, but not necessarily a security fix. It could be a (critical) reliability or important stability fix too! Take for example an early 2.4 version (can’t remember which one. I though either 2.4.6 or 2.4.12) which had a bug in the Ext2FS driver resulting in data loss… entirely possible one doesn’t need or use this driver but it’s also possible the computer’s (local) security isn’t important.
I just downloaded it and patch it with -mm and it’s working great. One thing though, where is this benchmark test the you all talk about?
What compelling reason is there to use mm patches?
no reason if everything works… mm-pathset is the testingfield of 2.6.
To what I heard, they backported many changes of 2.6 in 2.4 so if it doesn’t work in 2.4, it probably won’t work in 2.6…
By the way, what is your cpu/mobo? I have a XP2200+ with a MSI K7N2-L and I had exactly the opposite experience: it works flawlessly in 2.6 but keep crashing my machine in FreeBSD (I’ve tested 5.1 and 5.2-RC2 so far).
What are the diferences?
What is beter the -mm one or the Original?
[spelling]
-mm are patches that want to be better than the original one (see changelog). the original stable release is to be stable. it is tested by a great audience etc.
using patches like -mm can provide you better performance, etc. but also should be seen as experimental. if they are good and there are no problems (or they could be solved), they should be in a future stable release anyway.
Linux tux.tetipons.com.ar 2.6.1 #6 Mon Jan 12 18:57:46 CLST 2004 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux
I can’t compile ati fglrx here … i got this
[root@tux fglrx]# ./make_install.sh
– creating symlink
– recreating module dependency list
– trying a sample load of the kernel module
FATAL: Error inserting fglrx (/lib/modules/2.6.1/kernel/drivers/char/drm/fglrx.ko): Operation not permitted
failed.
Any help will be apreciated