KernelNewbies:

Linux 2.6.36

/!\ /!\ /!\ Warning: 2.6.36 has not been released /!\ /!\ /!\

Summary: Linux 2.6.36 includes support AppArmor, fanotify, new out-of-memory killer, and concurrency-managed workqueues.

(Note: Details on architecture-specific and driver changes have been moved to this page: [wiki:Linux_2_6_36-DriversArch Linux_2_6_36-DriversArch])

TableOfContents()

1. Prominent features (the cool stuff)

1.1. AppArmor

The AppArmor security module. AppArmor provides pathname-based mandatory access control; it was initially championed by Novell some years ago. Novell has moved on, but Canonical has picked this code up, integrated it into the Ubuntu distribution, and (now) merged it into the mainline kernel.

Code: [http://git.kernel.org/linus/cdff264264254e0fabc8107a33f3bb75a95e981f (commit 1], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/67012e8209df95a8290d135753ff5145431a666e 2], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/c75afcd153f6147d3b094f45a1d87e5df7f4f053 3], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/e06f75a6a2b43bd3a7a197bd21466f9da130e4af 4], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/63e2b423771ab0bc7ad4d407f3f6517c6d05cdc0 5], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/6380bd8ddf613b29f478396308b591867d401de4 6], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/898127c34ec03291c86f4ff3856d79e9e18952bc 7], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/c1c124e91e7c6d5a600c98f6fb5b443c403a14f4 8], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/f9ad1af53d5232a89a1ff1827102843999975dfa 9], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/b5e95b48685e3481139a5634d14d630d12c7d5ce 10], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/0ed3b28ab8bf460a3a026f3f1782bf4c53840184 11], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/736ec752d95e91e77cc0e8c97c057ab076ac2f51 12], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/c88d4c7b049e87998ac0a9f455aa545cc895ef92 13], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/4d6ec10bb4461fdc9a9ab94ef32934e13564e873 13], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/016d825fe02cd20fd8803ca37a1e6d428fe878f6 14], [http://git.kernel.org/linus/44672e4fbd40e2dda8bbce7d0f71d24dbfc7e00e 15)]

1.2. fanotify

fanotify - a mechanism allowing anti-malware scanning software to intercept file-oriented system calls and optionally block access to undesireable data.

1.3. New suspend mechanism

A new suspend mechanism intended to address the needs of the Android project (but which Android has not committed to using).

1.4. New infrared controller drivers

A number of infrared controller drivers from the LIRC project; these drivers have long been shipped by distributions despite their out-of-tree status, so this is a good development.

1.5. New out-of-memory killer

A new out-of-memory killer which, with luck, will improve the kernel's response when it runs completely out of RAM.

1.6. Concurrency-managed workqueues

Concurrency-managed workqueues have been merged; this is an important scalability patch which should reduce kernel threads and reduce CPU contention on larger systems.

1.7. Graphic improvements

2. Various core changes

3. Security

KernelNewbies: Linux_2_6_36 (last edited 2010-09-25 19:19:18 by diegocalleja)