ZDnet.com: Linux 2.4 unmasked Posted October 13, 2001 by Linux-2000 Staff
By Jerry Epplin

Most Linux users have heard by now of the release of version 2.4 of the kernel, an event sure to trigger a flood of new versions of all of the major Linux distributions.

Actually, to the hard core Linux user, the release of 2.4 as a "stable" kernel has little practical significance. After all, numerous 2.4 "test" releases have been usable for most purposes for months while obscure bugs were being tracked down; and there are sure to be more minor bugs found in the 2.4 tree over time.

In the closed-source world, releases are a big deal because they are seen very seldom and usually contain major feature additions. By contrast, an open-source software release is essentially a milestone -- a declaration that what was already available is now stable.

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