Overview of the new linux kernel 2.6.37-rc1

The first release candidate for the new Linux kernel version 2.6.37 has recently been released.

The development time for the 2.6.37-rc1 kernel was shortened due to the intention of the developers to approve the changelog before the Linux Developers Conference. About 10 thousand changes were made to the new version 2.6.37. The most significant innovation is the definitive departure from the use of the obsolete global BKL lock (Big Kernel Lock), which has been a problem for many years in some subsystems.

Another important new feature in version 2.6.37-rc1 is the integration of code for the initial host mode support of the Xen hypervisor (Dom0). To fully support Dom0, the kernel lacks backend drivers, which are planned to be integrated into version 2.6.38. The "Lazy Inode Table Initialization" feature has been added to the Ext4 file system, thanks to which the time to create Ext4 partitions is significantly reduced.