2.6.18

• Still not released
• Overview

  • http://lwn.net/Articles/190301

• Kernel Core changes

• Various core changes

• Architecture-specific

  • x86 32/64

    • Make powernow-k7 work on SMP kernels [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=436fe7b8b4a5016ef1fcb32bff77bde84003e15d (commit)]

  • PPC
  • ARM
  • PARISC
  • MIPS:
  • UML:
  • SPARC
  • IA64:
  • S390:

• Filesystems

  • Ext3
  • XFS
  • JFS
  • FUSE
  • NFS
  • CIFS
  • NTFS

• SELinux/audit

  • Add security class for appletalk sockets so that they can be distinguished in SELinux policy [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=3e3ff15e6d8ba931fa9a6c7f9fe711edc77e96e5 (commit)]

* Add new per-packet access controls to SELinux, replacing the old packet controls. Packets are labeled with the iptables SECMARK and CONNSECMARK targets, then security policy for the packets is enforced with these controls. The old code is but not active by default - to restore previous behavior, the old controls may be activated at runtime by writing a '1' to /selinux/compat_net and also via the kernel boot parameter selinux_compat_net. Switching between the network control models

• requires the security load_policy permission. The old controls will probably eventually be removed and any continued use is discouraged. With this patch, the new secmark controls for SElinux are disabled by default, so existing behavior is entirely preserved, and the user is not affected at all. It also provides a config option to enable the secmark controls by default (which can always be overridden at boot and runtime). It is also noted in the kconfig help that the user will need updated userspace if enabling secmark controls for SELinux and that they'll probably need the SECMARK and CONNMARK targets, and conntrack protocol helpers, although such decisions are beyond the scope of kernel configuration.

[http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=4e5ab4cb85683cf77b507ba0c4d48871e1562305 (commit)]

• Networking

  • LLC

    • Add multicast support for datagrams [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=bc0e646796928918e45b6465e02616f2fe65c3c1 (commit)]

  • TCP Compound congestion control algorithm for the plugable congestion control framework, an algorithm researched and implemented by Microsoft in Windows Vista but that will hit the streets first in Linux For more details, see the link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=f890f921040fef6a35e39d15b729af1fd1a35f29 (commit)]

  • TCP Low Priority congestion control algorithm for the plugable congestion control framework. Details about this algorithm in the commit link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=7c106d7e782bd4805f39da30e81018f861b4b8c5 (commit)]

  • TCP Veno congestion control algorithm for the plugable congestion control framework, which aims to improve TCP performance over wireless networks. More details in the commit link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=76f1017757aa0c308a0b83ca611c9a89ee9a79a4 (commit)]

  • TCP Probe congestion window tracing for capturing the changes to TCP connection state in response to incoming packets. More details in the commit link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=a42e9d6ce89cfd19aee9f990b7231ce697f0d00f (commit)]

• Limited slow start for Highspeed TCP (RFC3742 limited slow start) congestion control module [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=738980ffa658c86bd494ebb242ce8e44aff16a9e (commit)]

• net.ipv4.ip_autoconfig sysctl removal [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=bdeb04c6d9a957ae2a51c3033414467b82b2a736 (commit)]

• Add new flask definitions to SELinux: Secmark implements a new scheme for adding security markings to packets via iptables, as well as changes to SELinux to use these markings for security policy enforcement. Add support for a new object class ('packet'), and associated permissions ('send', 'recv', 'relabelto'). These are used to enforce security policy for network packets labeled with SECMARK, and for adding labeling rules [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=29a395eac4c320c570e73f0a90d8953d80da8359 (commit)]

• Add secmark support to core networking, to allow security subsystems to place security markings on network packets [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=984bc16cc92ea3c247bf34ad667cfb95331b9d3c (commit)]

  • BRIDGE: Add basic netlink support to the Ethernet bridge for link management, including: dump interfaces in bridges, monitor link status changes and change state of bridge port. More details in the commit link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=11dc1f36a6701b502ecb695f308aae46ede8bac6 (commit)]

  • IPV6
  • DCCP
  • Netfilter

    • Add SIP protocol support [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=ae5b7d8ba2c28d7d9835856fe0ca5f6ec95ea768 (commit)]

    • Add statistic match which is a combination of the nth and random matches [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=f3389805e53a13bd969ee1c8fc5a4137b7c6c167 (commit)]

    • H.323 helper: Add support for Call Forwarding [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c0d4cfd96dd0cc0dbf49435898808b5553af4822 (commit)]

    • Add xtables SECMARK target, allowing the admin to apply security marks to packets via both iptables and ip6tables [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=5e6874cdb8de94cd3c15d853a8ef9c6f4c305055 (commit)]

    • Add quota match [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=62b7743483b402f8fb73545d5d487ca714e82766 (commit)]

    • Add CONNSECMARK target, used to specify rules for copying security marks from packets to connections, and for copying security marks back from connections to packets [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=100468e9c05c10fb6872751c1af523b996d6afa9 (commit)]

    • Add secmark support to conntrack [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=7c9728c393dceb724d66d696cfabce82151a78e5 (commit)]

    • Add sysctl (ip_conntrack_checksum) to disable checksumming [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=39a27a35c5c1b5be499a0576a35c45a011788bf8 (commit)]

  • Wireless softmac

    • Add SIOCSIWMLME wext [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=9a1771e86756212041b32d80b850cc4c8063360a (commit)]

    • Complete the shared key authentication implementation [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=76ea4c7f4cd319dee35934ecab57745feae58fa5 (commit)]

  • BRIDGE

[http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=1b06e6ba25a37fe1c289049d0e0300d71ae39eff (commit)]

• Drivers

  • Video drivers

    • intelfb driver: add i945G [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=9639d5ec07a490134f05ac890506a367aaf8663b (commit)] and i945GM support [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=9a90603f65dd5046ddcd586158abcad7784892b6 (commit)]

  • libata drivers
  • SCSI drivers
  • Input drivers
  • USB drivers
  • Network drivers

    • Add Myri-10G Ethernet driver [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=0da34b6dfe55810ae60db57e08e2af8a808c0a55 (commit)]

    • Add new smc911x driver which supports the SMSC LAN911x line of ethernet chips [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=0a0c72c9118c4e63080eb409f0cfdf15808d23a4 (commit)]

    • Add new SMSC LAN83C185 10BaseT/100BaseTX PHY driver for the PHY subsystem [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c9e055ac4fdbb52622437e0dbfdbc1d4897d2775 (commit)]

    • sis900 driver: Add VLAN (802.1q) support [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=d269a69fbbbb7ddd2081af7a768feac754b8357a (commit)]

    • ipw2200 driver: Enable (IPW2200_PROMISCUOUS config option) the creation of a second interface prefixed 'rtap' for RF promiscuous mode. Details on the commit link [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=d685b8c226727bf5db907c7241f55461e7f1f008 (commit)]

    • pcnet_cs driver: Add TRENDnet TE-CF100 ethernet adapter support [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=cf393ebed0abb1186c34b21f3d1d939ac2b5568a (commit)]

    • ixgb driver: Add support for Copper 10GbE device ID 109E [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=940829e2f9d89d3caddc852bca9018cf503ea719 (commit)]

    • rt8169 driver: Add new PCI ID (RTL8110SBL) [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=de1e938e54deba5b093a3074dfafd0d11afacbe1 (commit)]

    • forcedeth driver

      • Expose several configuration knobs configurable through ethtool: ring sizes [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=eafa59f6bcc6e46b756198a5388d195c4f0e671a (commit)], WOL [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c42d9df932ce3732044dc1394114380140ccffe0 (commit)], rx and tx checksum offloads [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=5ed2616f621b41d3477d4f4ae2ba0e0a0e80bdce (commit)], flow control [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=b6d0773fa7943fd93d564056395a7ff29b81213b (commit)], diagnostic tests [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=9589c77a0de19c0c95370d5212eb1f9006d8abcb (commit)], and hardware statistic counters [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=52da35789c305f6f44d0e85b294a9845c1271898 (commit)]

      • New device ids [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c99ce7ee75db7836e2faba932affd2aadd1e942f (commit)]

  • au1000_eth driver: convert to use PHY framework [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=0638dec01e89059c853515ab71c55fd13ba5a8ea (commit)]

  • bcm43xx driver: Add PCI ID for bcm4319 [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=f03cc4fd927357bd4b3cea1a053b9f9d8f1731cc (commit)]

  • TG3 driver: Add 5786 PCI ID for BCM5786 [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=30b6c28d2aca4669f2e609ad5d77ea2a6cf0dd3a (commit)]

    • ipw2100
    • ipw2200:
    • TG3
    • Forcedeth
    • e1000
    • sky2
    • Airo
    • S2io
  • ALSA
  • IRDA

    • Initial support for MCS7780 based dongles [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c6ae522e3a50fc1ec483d7f03ece9c7a25e6de95 (commit)]

  • V4L/DVB

• Adds a new ioatdma driver for the Intel(R) I/OAT DMA engine [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=0bbd5f4e97ff9c057b385a1886b4aed1fb0300f1 (commit)]

• Make sk_eat_skb I/OAT aware [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=624d1164730d58a494cc5aa4afa37d02c41e83a7 (commit)]

• Structure changes for TCP recv offload to I/OAT [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=97fc2f0848c928c63c2ae619deee61a0b1107b69 (commit)]

• Utility functions for offloading sk_buff to iovec copies [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=de5506e155276d385712c2aa1c2d9a27cd4ed947 (commit)]

• DMA memcpy subsystem [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=c13c8260da3155f2cefb63b0d1b7dcdcb405c644 (commit)]

• Add a sysctl for tuning the I/OAT offloaded I/O threshold [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=9593782585e0cf70babe787a8463d492a68b1744 (commit)]

• Setup the networking subsystem as a DMA client [http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=db21733488f84a596faaad0d05430b3f51804692 (commit)]