Linux kernel
| Protocol | Location |
|---|---|
| HTTP | https://www.kernel.org/pub/ |
| GIT | https://git.kernel.org/ |
| RSYNC | rsync://rsync.kernel.org/pub/ |
1. The latest version
2. Version category
Active kernel releases the active kernel version
Distribution kernels distributed kernel version
3. Some more critical version of history timeline
4. historical versions of the code size statistics
5. The supplementary reference information, some content may be outdated
1. The latest version (includes long-term release)
As of May 28, 2019 No.
| version number | time | Imprint |
| 3.16.68 | 2019.05.22 | Longterm long-term release version 2014.08 ~ 2020.08 |
| 3.18.140[EOL] | 2019.05.16 | Longterm |
| 4.4.180 | 2019.05.16 | Longterm long-term release version 2016.01 ~ 2022.02 |
| 4.9.179 | 2019.05.25 | Longterm long-term release version 2016.12 ~ 2023.01 |
| 4.14.122 | 2019.05.25 | Longterm long-term release version 2017.11 ~ 2020.01 |
| 4.19.46 | 2019.05.25 | Longterm long-term release version 2018.10 ~ 2020.10 |
| 5.1.5 | 2019.05.25 | stable Stable |
| 5.2-rc2 | 2019.05.26 | mainline mainline |
2. The version of the main categories
Active kernel releases active kernel version
Prepatch ready
Prepatch or "RC" mainline kernel is a pre-release version, mainly for other kernel developers and Linux enthusiasts.
They must be from a source code compiler, and usually contains new functions must be tested before it can be placed in a stable version. Prepare the kernel maintained and published by Linus Torvalds.
Mainline main line of the new mainline kernel published once every 2-3 months.
Mainline tree maintained by Linus Torvalds. It is the introduction of all the new features of the tree, and all the exciting new developments.
Stable steady needed a stable release kernel update, usually once a week.
After each mainline kernel release, it is considered "stable." Any reverse migration from the mainline tree are for bug fixes stable kernel by kernel maintainer specified stable application. Before the next mainline available, usually only a few bugfix kernel version available - unless it is designated as a "long-term maintenance of the kernel."
Longterm long
usually have several "long-term maintenance" kernel version, for migration to the back end of the old tree kernel bug fixes. Only important bug fixes applied to such a kernel, and they usually do not see very often version, especially for older trees.
Distribution kernels kernel distribution
Many Linux distributions provide their own "long-term maintenance" cores that may or may not be based on the maintenance of core kernel developers. The kernel version is not hosted on kernel.org kernel developers do not support them.
It is easy to determine whether you are running a kernel distribution. Unless you download from kernel.org, compiled and installed its own kernel version, otherwise you are running kernel distribution. To find out the version of the kernel, run
uname -r
5.1.5-arch1-2-ARCH
If you see anything in the dash, it means that you are running kernel distribution. Please use your distribution channels support suppliers to get the kernel support.
3. some of the more critical version of history timeline
| version number | time | Imprint |
| 0.00 | 1991.2-4 | The two processes are shown AAABBB |
| 0.11 | 1991.12.8 | The basic version of the kernel can run normally |
| 1.0 | 1994.3.14 | linux system's core development team built |
| 2.0 | 1996.2.9 | ipfwadm |
| 2.2 | 1999.1.26 | ipchains |
| 2.4 | 2001.1.4 | netfilter |
| 2.6 | 2003.12.17 | Multiprocessor configurations and supports 64-bit computing, also supports the realization of the machine POSIX threads library (the NPTL) efficient threading. In fact, performance, security improvements and is a key driver of the entire 2.6.x kernel |
| 2.6.15 | 2006 | Improved support for IPv6 |
| 2.6.30 | 2009.6 | Improved file system, joined the integrity test patch, TOMOYOLinux security module, unreliable datagram sockets (datagramsocket) protocol support, object storage device support, FS-Cache file system cache layer, nilfs file system, interrupt handling support thread and many more. |
| 2.6.32 | 2009.12 | Adds virtual memory de-duplicacion, the writeback rewrite the code, improve the Btrfs file system, added ATIR600 / R7003D and KMS support, the CFQ low latency transmission mode, perftimechart tools, memory controller supports softlimits, S + Core Support architecture, support IntelMoorestown and its new firmware interface that supports run-time power management, and a new drive |
| 2.6.34 | 2010.5 | 添加了Ceph和LogFS两个新的文件系统， 其中前者为分布式的文件系统， 后者是适用于Flash设备的文件系统。 LinuxKernel2.6.34的其他特性包括新的Vhostnet、 改进了Btrfs文件系统、对Kprobesjump进行了优化、 新的perf功能、RCUlockdep、 GeneralizedTTLSecurityMechanism(RFC5082) 及privateVLANproxyarp(RFC3069)支持、asynchronous挂起恢复等 |
| 2.6.35 | 2010.8.1 | 在系统的多个CPU之间分配网络处理负载， Btrfs文件系统加入直接I/O支持，大量新的驱动等 |
| 2.6.36 | 2010.10 | Tilera处理器架构支持、新的文件通知接口fanotify、 Intel显卡上实现KMS和KDB的整合、并行管理工作队列、 Inteli3/5平台上内置显卡和CPU的智能电源管理、 CIFS文件系统本地缓存、改善虚拟内存的层级结构， 提升桌面操作响应速度、改善虚拟内存溢出终结器的算法、 整合了AppArmor安全模型 （注：与SELinux基于文件的标注不同，AppArmor是基于路径的） |
| 2.6.38 | 2011.3.15 | 件操作性能得以提高许多，提高了Wi-Fi的性能等等 |
| 2.6.39 | 2011.5 | 加入了IPset框架，提高规则匹配速度，更新媒体控制系统等 |
| 3.0 | 2011.7.21 | |
| 3.2 | 2012.1 | 三星Exynos处理器驱动、VMware显卡驱动脱离 staging tree以及后者的大量变动、 Intel/Radeon/Nouveau/DRM大量更新、 Btrfs文件系统改进，等等 |
| 3.5 | 2012.7 | EXT4文件系统元数据校验,TCP连接的检查与修复 |
| 3.12.6 | 2013.12 | |
| 3.16 | 2014.8 | Longterm 长期发行版本 2014.08～2020.08 |
| 3.18.11 | 2015.4 | Longterm |
| 3.19 | 2015.2 | 为多种触控板增加多点触控支持 |
| 3.19.8 | 2015.5.11 | 在动态电源管理风扇控制、Flash友好文件系统启动时间、 多重触摸等方面做了改进 |
| 4.4 | 2016.1 | Longterm 长期发行版本 2016.01～2022.02 |
| 4.9 | 2016.12 | Longterm 长期发行版本 2016.12～2023.01 |
| 4.14 | 2017.11 | Longterm 长期发行版本 2017.11～2020.01 |
| 4.19 | 2018.10 | Longterm 长期发行版本 2018.10～2020.10 |
| 5.0.19 | 2019.05.25 | stable 稳定版 |
| 5.1.5 | 2019.05.25 | stable 稳定版 |
| 5.2-rc2 | 2019.05.26 | mainline 主线 |
4. 历史版本代码规模统计
https://web.archive.org/web/20180623215917/https://www.linuxcounter.net/statistics/kernel
5. 补充参考信息，部分内容可能已过时
https://www.linuxidc.com/Linux/2011-08/40049.htm
内核版本号由3 个数字组成：r.x.y。
r：目前发布的内核主版本。
x：偶数表示稳定版本；奇数表示开发中版本。
y：错误修补的次数。
major.minor.patch-build.desc
2.26.35-rc5
1、major：表示主版本号，有结构性变化时才变更。
2、minor：表示次版本号，新增功能时才发生变化；一般奇数表示测试版，偶数表示生产版。
3、patch：表示对次版本的修订次数或补丁包数。
4、build：表示编译（或构建）的次数，每次编译可能对少量程序做优化或修改，但一般没有大的（可控的）功能变化。
5、desc：用来描述当前的版本特殊信息；其信息由编译时指定，具有较大的随意性，但也有一些描述标识是常用的，比如：
<1>rc（有时也用一个字母r），表示候选版本（release candidate），rc后的数字表示该正式版本的第几个候选版本，多数情况下，各候选版本之间数字越大越接近正式版。
<2>smp，表示对称多处理器（Symmetric MultiProcessing）。
<3>pp，在Red Hat Linux中常用来表示测试版本（pre-patch）。
<4>EL，在Red Hat Linux中用来表示企业版Linux（Enterprise Linux）。
<5>mm，表示专门用来测试新的技术或新功能的版本。
<6>fc，在Red Hat Linux中表示Fedora Core。
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cn/linux/l-linux-kernel/index.html