At long last Linux 2.4

The much-anticipated next version of the core of the Linux operating system is ready at last.

Linux creator Linus Torvalds and the army of programmers who collectively develop the Linux kernel delivered the final release of the long-awaited 2.4 code Thursday. The code is now available for download. A prerelease version of the kernel was made available to testers on 31 December.

The 2.4 kernel contains several improvements. For desktop use, the most notable improvement is support for the multitude of printers, digital cameras, scanners, keyboards, mice, network cards, modems, Zip drives and other devices that plug into the universal serial bus port.

For server use, the most significant changes are improvements that will let Linux take better advantage of systems with multiple processors -- a key feature for spreading Linux into more powerful servers.

Linux 2.4 is running about a year behind schedule.

Torvalds said in June 1999 that Linux 2.4 would be done by last fall. In May 2000, Torvalds acknowledged that 2.4 was likely not to see the light of day until October 2000, since developers were attempting to cram more new, high-end features into the final release. On 6 October, at LinuxWorld in Frankfurt, Germany, Torvalds was quoted as saying Linux 2.4 wouldn't be launched until December at the earliest.

Linux distributors have been counting on including the 2.4 kernel in versions of their products starting in the first half of this year.

Red Hat has been planning to make the 2.4 kernel the heart of its next release, codenamed Florence, due out in the first quarter. Caldera Systems has been planning to upgrade to the 2.4 kernel for both its eDesktop and eServer Linux releases in the second quarter.

Linux is a clone of the Unix operating system. It competes with Unix variants such as Sun Microsystems' Solaris and with Microsoft's Windows operating system. Unlike those commercial packages, it can be obtained for free and can be freely modified.

Linux burst onto the scene in 1999, when big computer makers adopted it into their product lines. That popularity led to wild successes on the stock market for a few publicly traded Linux companies, enthusiasm that has since waned.

Take me to the Linux Lounge

While the arrival of Linux 2.4 is exciting news for technologists, the excitement for business deployments is still months away. Steven Vaughan-Nichols is pleased as punch that 2.4 is here, but wants to stress that he thinks now is not the time to start upgrading live systems. Go to AnchorDesk UK for the news comment.

Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Click on the TalkBack button and go to the ZDNet News forum.

Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom. And read what others have said.