Linux Kernel System of Numbers…
Each time the linux kernel was released or revised, a new version number was assigned to it. The very first kernel was numbered 0.01. This type of numbering format changed after 1.0. The format implemented after 1.0 followed a system of x.x.x, where the first x was the actual “version” of the kernel, the second x was the main revision, and the third x was the small revision. Small changes included any security resolutions, bug repairs, new cool stuff, or new drivers.
Apparently, after much debate, everyone working on the numbering scheme decided that the first two numbers of the release were not important, and that the third number would be the “version” of the current kernel. A fourth number was then introduced to represent the minor revisions, such as bug problems and security issues. Why they didn’t just drop the first two numbers and keep the numbering simple is beyond me.
The four number system still remains today. However, as the first two numbers in the four number sequence are malarkey, the system numbering may seem ambiguous to new users looking for the most current version number. The first two numbers haven’t changed; therefore, at first glance, it may appear that a newer version has not been released in many years. On the other hand, this “new” numbering system (to those in the know) will make finding the most current/up-to-date “version” of the linux kernel easy to find. Again, I pose the question, “Why not drop the irrelevant numbers?!”
The linux kernel numbering system is an easy to understand numbering system that dismisses the first two numbers in the sequence and uses the third number as the version and the fourth number as the update. It helps maintain version clarity for developers and users alike.
[To the developers: Please drop the first two numbers? Maybe? Pretty Please?]
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