Let's look at the future of the Linux kernel

The Linux kernel continues to grow: The amount of code is increasing and the number of contributors to the code is increasing. And some of the challenges that come with it need to be addressed. These are the main points that Jonathan Corbet put forward in this year's LinuxCon core annual report. The following is his main speech content:

The Linux 4.2 kernel was released at the end of last month. Corbet stressed that 1569 developers contributed code for this release, of which 277 were the first to commit the code.

As more and more developers join, the kernel updates very quickly, and Corbet estimates that a new kernel milestone can now be generated in about 63 days.

Linux 4.2 involves a variety of updates. One of these is the introduction of the OVERLAYFS, a read-only file system that can implement a container on top of a container.

Network systems have also improved packet transfer performance, which is important for high-frequency financial transactions. The aspect of Ascension is mainly focused on reducing the energy consumption when processing packets.

There are still new drivers added to the kernel. In each kernel release cycle, an average of 60 to 80 new or upgraded drivers are added.

Another major update is the real-time kernel patch, which was introduced for the first time in version 4.0, with the benefit that system administrators can make kernel patches in a production environment without needing to restart the system. When the required elements of the patch are ready, the patching process continues and stabilizes in the background.

Linux security, IoT, and other concerns

Security issues have been a hot topic in the open source community over the past year, thanks to events that have raised high concerns, such as Heartbleed and Shellshock.

"I have no doubt that the neglect of Linux code will have some unpleasant problems," Corbet.

Another concern is the 2038 issue, the" millennium bug "in the Linux world, if not resolved, 2000 problems will reappear. 2038 the problem is that in 2038 some Linux and Unix machines would crash (LCTT: 32-bit system recorded time, the next second after 03:14:07 on the January 19, 2038 Tuesday night, will become negative). Corbet says there are now 23 years left in 2038, and the system now deployed will consider 2038 issues.

Linux has started some preliminary programs to fix 2038 of problems, but it's far from enough. "It's time to fix this problem, instead of waiting for 20 years to leave the headache to the next generation, and we're enjoying the good old days of retirement," he points out.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is also an area of concern for Linux, which is the main possessor of the IoT embedded operating system, but this is not an egg. Corget that the bloated kernel is certainly too big for future IoT devices.

Now one project is to do the kernel minimization, and getting enough support is very important for this project.

"In addition to Linux, there are other projects that can do the internet of things, but those projects will not be as open as Linux," Corbet said. "We can't expect Linux to remain an advantage in the Internet of things, and we need to do this with our own efforts, and we need to be careful not to let the kernel get bloated." ”

That is, the future Linux kernel will be able to absorb more and more code contributors, but also pay attention to Linux security issues, how the bloated kernel of IoT to minimize problems and the next 2038 years may occur in the Linux World "millennium bug" problem.

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Let's look at the future of the Linux kernel