Top programmers hope to release on Wednesday a major update to Linux, version 2.6.0, a change that"s expected to help carry the open-source operating system into new markets.
The new version of the core, or kernel, of Linux has several changes that make Linux better suited to powerful computers with numerous processors, a market dominated today by servers running versions of the Unix operating system on which Linux is based. The new version will be the first major change since 2.4.0 was released in January 2001. From its lowly roots as a student project Linus Torvalds began 12 years ago, the software has matured to become a major competitor to Microsoft and a key part of most computing companies" plans.
Torvalds, founder and leader of the Linux project, has been locking down the 2.6.0 test versions for months, and Andrew Morton, the programmer in charge of 2.6.0, has said he expected the software to be released in December. In an e-mail interview Wednesday, Morton confirmed that he and Torvalds will "probably" release 2.6.0 Wednesday evening. At the top of Morton"s list of changes coming with 2.6.0 is the ability to run on multiprocessor servers--the machines that run around the clock, handling tasks such as bank account management, stock trades, supermarket sales transactions and e-mail delivery. Whereas the 2.4 kernel works on servers with four or sometimes eight processors, the 2.6 kernels will stretch to 32-processor systems, Morton said.