The next stable update of the kernel has been released. It was announced by an e-mail from Linux creator Linus Torvalds to the Linux kernel mailing list.
The 2.6.13 release comes after a series of release candidates were being tested, a process that uncovered several problems.
The release updates the kernel's file system event monitoring -- a set of system calls that lets users load another kernel from a current kernel -- and advances in the Xtensa instruction set architecture designed for embedded applications.
March of the Penguin
"The most painful part of 2.6.13 is likely to be the fact that we made x86 use the generic PCI bus setup code for assigning unassigned resources," Torvalds wrote in the e-mail.
"That uncovered rather a lot of nasty small details, but should also mean that a lot of laptops in particular should be able to discover PCI devices behind bridges that the BIOS hasn't set up," he added.
The problems seen in the earlier versions of this kernel update seem to be fixed, Torvalds noted, but he did not rule out unforeseen issues that would need to be addressed in the next release, which he plans to begin working on soon.
Business as Usual
At this point, kernel changes are not necessary for Linux to run well within enterprises, but they do advance the operating system, said IDC analyst Dan Kusnetzky.
"As the kernel gets refined and better, it will certainly improve scalability and reliability," he said. "But the kernel is already at a place where those are good enough for companies using Linux."
Enterprises are usually more focused on software that runs on the kernel than on the kernel itself, he added, which means that the current update will not exactly send CIOs scurrying to Kernel.org. But the tweaks could affect them in the near future because changes to the kernel could expand the types of applications available to run on Linux.
"In updating the kernel, they're pushing the boundaries with every release," said Kusnetzky. "That will increasingly allow more people to feel comfortable with Linux."