Blubber-wrapped Linux kernel 2.6.30 hits the decks

A new version of the Linux kernel has been unleashed, 2.6.30 — dubbed "Man-Eating Seals of Antiquity" — just three months on from Linus Torvalds’s previous release.

The latest Linux kernel sped through eight release candidates before it landed yesterday.

"I'm sure we've missed something, and I know we have some regressions pending," noted the big daddy of Linux in a newsgroup message penned on Wednesday.

"At the same time, we do need the coverage of a eral [sic] release, and on the whole it looks pretty good. We've fixed a few regressions in the last few days, and there's always 2.6.30.x," said Torvalds.

Changes in the latest version include beefed-up data security of the Ext4 file system.

Version 2.6.30 offers better ways and means of reconfiguring software RAIDS, there's also support built in for two additional file systems.

Memory management code has also been revamped, and there are various changes to the PCI and power management features in the Linux kernel too, in an attempt to improve its system hibernation mode.

The full list of tweaks can be viewed here.

"One thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned there [in the newbie notes] is that we're hopefully now done with the suspend/resume irq re-architecting, and have switched to a new world order. Although I suspect lots of details will still change, of course," said Torvalds.

"And as usual, I'll wait a day or two before really opening the merge window. I want people to actually test this one rather than immediately sending me 'please pull' requests. Deal?" ®