14 DAY TRIAL // A new Release Candidate for Linux kernel 3.19 has been released by Linus Torvalds and the branch moves a little bit toward stable version. It's still a few weeks off, but everything should go according to plan.
The 3.19 development cycle of the Linux kernel has been very smooth and nothing out of the ordinary has happened until now. This is actually quite uncommon, but it's also good news for the users who are keeping a close eye on what the Linux devs are doing. It's impossible to call this latest branch boring, because there is always something interesting being added, and it's very likely that 3.20 will be much more fun.
The reason I mention Linux kernel 3.20 is because Linus Torvalds once mentioned that he considered releasing an ultra-stable version after 3.19 and he also said he would like to call it something like 4.0. This idea was very well received at that time, but he hasn't mentioned it publicly since then and there is no information on whether this will happen at all.
A new RC moves one step close to stable
The cycle for a new stable version of the kernel is not determined precisely beforehand and it's usually determined on the fly. If it needs more testing or if a nasty bug needs fixing, the cycle will be prolonged until those issues have been closed.
"Another rc, another week closer to release. And this one is slightly smaller than rc5 was, although smaller still would always be better. But like rc5, none of the changes look particularly scary, and over a quarter were cc'd for stable, so things look to be on track. I currently expect to make an rc7 next week, with the final 3.19 in two weeks, as per the usual schedule," wrote Linus on the mailing list.
You can download Linux kernel 3.19 RC6 right now from Softpedia. This is the source package and it needs to be compiled, which also means that you really have to know what you are doing.