Announcing 2.6.21-rc2, Linus Torvalds noted, "I'm not very proud of this, because quite frankly, -rc2 has way more changes than I really like." The current Linux kernel development model is that the bulk of changes in a new kernel should happen during the -rc1 phase, with the rest of the -rc kernels being primarily bug fixes. Linus explains, "it's largely my fault, because I simply missed a V4L/DVB merge that came in before the merge window closed, but since I didn't notice it didn't make -rc1, and as such it got merged late and is in -rc2 instead." With typical humor he added, "but because I'll flail around wildly and rather blame anything else than my own incompetence, I'll just claim that all the other kernel developers have been irresponsible, and caused -rc2 to be bigger than needed. In some areas (you know who you are) it may even be true.."

Summarizing other changes in the new release candidate, Linus said, "apart from the V4L/DVB merge, we've got a late PARISC update, and a number of driver updates (ata, networking, usb) changes. Along with the normal smattering of random stuff (core networking, selinux, infiniband, agp, mips, arm)." He then pointed to Adrian's regression lists [story] noting that some are fixed but there are more to go. The latest kernel can be downloaded from your nearest kernel.org mirror. You can browse through all the changes using the gitweb interface. Kernel Newbiews maintains a useful summary of all the changes going into the latest version of the Linux kernel.

From: Linus Torvalds [email blocked]
To: Linux Kernel Mailing List [email blocked]
Subject: Linux 2.6.21-rc2
Date:	Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:16:28 -0800 (PST)


Oh well.. I'm not very proud of this, because quite frankly, -rc2 has way 
more changes than I really like.

And yeah, it's largely my fault, because I simply missed a V4L/DVB merge 
that came in before the merge window closed, but since I didn't notice it 
didn't make -rc1, and as such it got merged late and is in -rc2 instead.

But because I'll flail around wildly and rather blame anything else than 
my own incompetence, I'll just claim that all the other kernel developers 
have been irresponsible, and caused -rc2 to be bigger than needed. In some 
areas (you know who you are) it may even be true..

Apart from the V4L/DVB merge, we've got a late PARISC update, and a number 
of driver updates (ata, networking, usb) changes. Along with the normal 
smattering of random stuff (core networking, selinux, infiniband, agp, 
mips, arm).

Anyway, I really hope the thing starts calming down now, and everybody 
should take a hard look at the regressions lists that Adrian has started 
sending out. We already fixed some of them, but there is more to go..

Thanks,

		Linus
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