Linus Torvalds announced the immediate availability for download of Linux kernel 3.2 after seven release candidates. This release has been after a long delay due to kernel.org being were hacked in August 2011, but Linux 3.2 has finally been released.
It seems to have been quite pleased with the new features integrated into the new kernel, which now comprises nearly 15 million lines of code. Among the novelties introduced to the Linux Kernel 3.2 of important improvements include support for the Ext4 file system (blocks of 4 Kbytes to 1 Mbyte) and new options for supporting Btrfs .
What’s new in Linux Kernel 3.2
Improvements to the Ext4 filesystem, network code optimisations and thin provisioning support in the Device Mapper are some of the major improvements in Linux 3.2. Further additions include new and improved drivers – for example, for graphics hardware by Intel and NVIDIA, as well as Wi-Fi components by Atheros and Broadcom.
It also added a number of improvements to the process scheduler when it is performing many memory writes, improvements in the Device Mapper on TCP (to restore the connection when there is packet loss) and support for new architectures (such as Hexagon DSP processor Qualcomm).
Highlights to Linux Kernel 3.2
- Support for bigger block sizes in EXT4;
- Faster scrubbing, detailed corruption messages and TCP Proportional Rate Reduction;
- Automatic backup of tree roots, and manual inspection of metadata in Btrfs;
- Process bandwith controller and Support for the Hexagon architecture;
- Thin provisioning and recursive snapshots in the Device Mapper;
- I/O-less dirty throttling, reduce filesystem writeback from page reclaim;
Those who wish to know what’s new changes are made into this new Linux 3.2 Kernel in details, I invite you to read all information in detail here.
Article by Vishal
Vishal Gaikar is a professional blogger from Pune, India. If you like this post, you can follow him on Twitter.
