From the release history linux kernel as a whole can have a global understanding of linux, you can know the characteristics of the various versions, what are some of the changes, you can better understand and learn linux.
| Kernel version number | time | History of kernel development |
| 0.00 | 1991.2-4 | The two processes are shown AAABBB |
| 0.01 | 1991.9 | The first official announcement of the Linux kernel version out |
| 0.02 | 1991.10.5 | LinusTorvalds the first time the 0.02 kernel release to the Minix newsgroup, and soon got the response. LinusTorvalds expand on this simple task switching mechanism, and developed and introduced the first stable working version of Linux with the help of many enthusiastic supporters. |
| 0.03 | 1991.10.5 | |
| 0.10 | 1991.10 | Linux0.10 version of the kernel release, version 0.11 followed by the launch in December 1991, when it was posted on the Internet, for people to use for free. |
| 0.11 | 1991.12.8 | The basic version of the kernel can run normally |
| 0.12 | 1992.1.15 | The main added software simulation program for math coprocessor |
| 0.95（0.13） | 1992.3.8 | Start thinking of adding virtual file system kernel version |
| 0.96 | 1992.5.12 | Start adding network support and a virtual file system |
| 0.97 | 1992.8.1 | |
| 0.98 | 1992.9.29 | |
| 0.99 | 1992.12.13 | |
| 1.0 | 1994.3.14 | Linux1.0 kernel release version, use it more and more users, and Linux system kernel development team also built up. |
| 1.2 | 1995.3.7 | |
| 2.0 | 1996.2.9 | |
| 2.2 | 1999.1.26 | |
| 2.4 | 2001.1.4 | Linux2.4.0 version of the kernel release. |
| 2.6 | 2003.12.17 | Linux2.6 kernel version release, compared with the kernel version 2.4, which is improved in many aspects, such as support for multiprocessor configurations, and 64-bit computing, also it supports high efficiency and process lines native POSIX threads library (NPTL ). In fact, performance, security improvements and is a key driver of the entire 2.6.x kernel. |
| 2.6.15 | 2006 | Linux2.6.15 version of the kernel release. It IPv6 support has been greatly improved in the kernel. PowerPC users now have one for 64-bit and 32-bit PowerPC generic tree, it makes editing on these two core architecture possible. |
| 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, CFQ low latency transmission mode, perftimechart tools, memory controller supports softlimits, S + Core Support architecture, support IntelMoorestown and its new firmware interface and power management, and the new drive is running. |
| 2.6.34 | 2010.5 | Ceph and LogFS added two new file system, where the former is a distributed file system, which is applied to the file system Flash devices. Other features include a new LinuxKernel2.6.34 Vhostnet, improve the Btrfs file system, Kprobesjump optimized, new perf features, RCUlockdep, GeneralizedTTLSecurityMechanism (RFC5082) and privateVLANproxyarp (RFC3069) support, asynchronous suspend recovery and so on. |
| 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）。 |