Last week brought the arrival of a new Linux kernel, version 2.6.33. With it, came quite a few changes likely to interest device developers. So, here is a breakdown of the most significant mobile/embedded updates to come in the latest kernel.

For instance, Android patches were dropped from the staging tree, due to lack of maintenance. Many were surprised that Google has apparently opted to maintain its kernel patches "out-of-tree." However, the ensuing discussions certainly stand to raise the general awareness level around embedded Linux best practices, which generally start with "work your changes upstream."

Some of the advantages of "mainlining" code include:

• Code improvements from peer review
• Code contributions and support from the kernel community
• Seamlessly integrating new Linux improvements, such as new device drivers
• Simpler merging of any other needed out-of-tree patches
• Easier bring-up on new hardware
• A much bigger potential user base, because development is so much simpler

At the same time, there's a long, if not especially proud, tradition of device companies maintaining their own kernel forks. Google certainly has adequate developer resources to take on this extra work load. It apparently plans to "rebase" its kernel approximately every other kernel release, an approach much better than letting "bit-rot" run its course for years at a time.

For his part, Linus doesn't seem fazed by the situation, reportedly commenting (in a Nexus404 story) "I don't worry about out-of-tree development for odd devices too much."

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Original link: http://www.linux.com/news/embedd...