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Linux kernel 6.12 has been released

(lwn.net)
148 points nitinreddy88 | 6 comments | 18 Nov 24 03:12 UTC | HN request time: 2.268s | source | bottom
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rurban[dead post] ◴[18 Nov 24 06:03 UTC] No.42170111[source]▶
[flagged]
bonzini ◴[18 Nov 24 06:41 UTC] No.42170298[source]▶
There's no minor and major. All releases are equivalent but the first number is bumper when the second becomes large enough, which happens every 2-3 years.
replies(2): >>42170403 #>>42170988 #
yjftsjthsd-h ◴[18 Nov 24 07:04 UTC] No.42170403[source]▶
In fairness, that is a weird versioning scheme, and I really do wish that Linux either switched to full semver (in which case it'd be version 2.9000.0 or so by now) or just drop the leading digit and go full build number kinda like NT does. But as cousin comments note, not my project not my call:)
replies(4): >>42170564 #>>42170621 #>>42171003 #>>42171115 #
1. homebrewer ◴[18 Nov 24 08:01 UTC] No.42170621[source]▶
What for? Every kernel release is equal as far as maintainers are concerned, the list of features that go in depends on what is ready in time. They would have to change release processes significantly to accommodate "major versions", and I don't think they would want to do that.

Also, the kernel doesn't really have an external kernel API, the user API is supposed to be 100% stable, and its internal kAPI is nobody else's business, so there's one less reason for semver.

replies(2): >>42170865 #>>42177366 #
2. CorrectHorseBat ◴[18 Nov 24 09:00 UTC] No.42170865[source]▶
Why then confuse users with the first dot? The second dot having a meaning makes it even more confusing. Just drop the first dot like Chrome and Firefox did.
replies(1): >>42170881 #
3. ithinkso ◴[18 Nov 24 09:06 UTC] No.42170881[source]▶
As the comment above stated - so that the numbers don't grow too large
replies(1): >>42171062 #
4. CorrectHorseBat ◴[18 Nov 24 09:49 UTC] No.42171062{3}[source]▶
But why does that matter? They are as large as they are, a dot in between doesn't change that.

The only thing I can imagine is trying not to break scripts looking at the kernel version and expecting two dots. If that's the case it makes more sense to use the OpenBSD way and increase after 9.

replies(1): >>42171128 #
5. bdhcuidbebe ◴[18 Nov 24 10:06 UTC] No.42171128{4}[source]▶
Kernel version scheme has been bikeshedded for decades already, See LKML if you want to contribute further
6. rurban ◴[18 Nov 24 21:37 UTC] No.42177366[source]▶
So what new feature set would be more major than PREEMPT_RT? Anybody will remember the great 6.12 for years, whilst 7.0 will be forgotten in a month.