As just reported on Slashdot the Linux 2.6 Kernel is finally here! This marks a pretty big milestone for Linux as a whole – it’s really the first industrial strength version to compete against the big Unixes like Solaris and Aix head-on!
With full 64-bit support for the newer Opteron processors, full G5 support for the new PowerMacs, access to files that are up to 2 terabytes in size on 64-bit platforms and support for up to 32-64 processors this is certainly a neat bit of code!! For a desktop system, it brings real-time support with low latencies, improved USB and Firewire device support, better I/O and fewer race conditions during heavy disk use. It just feels a lot faster and performs much better.
It’s a big upgrade with mostly new server-oriented features but it should be a nicer desktop OS and it can perform a lot better under heavy loads. But remember do not install it if you do not have a real up-to-date distro! Module tools have been upgraded and are incompatible with older versions. You can wreck your system if you’re not careful!
Check out kerneltrap.org for a good guide on how to upgrade your system and here for more in-depth info.
