I’ve never been particularly number-inclined, and apparently I’m in good company, as Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds has a similar issue. In a post announcing Linux 7.0 rc1, Torvalds is quick to point out that the major number release version doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the most exciting version of the Linux kernel yet.
“We have a new major number purely because I’m easily confused and not good with big numbers”, says Torvalds (via The Register).
“We haven’t done releases based on features (or on “stable vs unstable”) for a long long time now. So that new major number does *not* mean that we have some big new exciting feature, or that we’re somehow leaving old interfaces behind. It’s the usual ‘solid progress’ marker, nothing more.”
However, Torvalds has performed some back-of-a-matchbook maths to work out the rough release cadence, and predicts that “With our normal release schedule of 5-6 releases per year and my antipathy to big version numbers, you should basically expect us to bump the major number roughly every 3.5 years.”
Despite the update not being revolutionary (and knowing the odd Linux fan as I do, that’s almost certainly perceived as a good thing), Torvalds does talk up the robustness of the merge overall.
“Despite any lingering “.0 release” worries that people might have due to experiences with other projects, this was one of those fairly smooth merge window[s] for me. I define those as the merge windows where I don’t have to bisect boot failures on any of my machines.
“Admittedly this time around that was because I caught one failure case early before I *actually* booted into it, but hey, that still technically counts as ‘smooth’ to me.”
Good stuff. There’s nothing like classic Nordic understatement to sell an upgrade, although with expectations now reasonably tempered, Torvalds seems keen for the Linux community to jump on board with the most recent release:
“But your milage may vary. Which is why you should now all drop everything, run to your computers, and test-build and test-boot a shiny new kernel. The fact that it all works for *me* is good, but let’s make sure it works for others too, ok?
“Just kidding. A leisurely stroll after you’ve finished chewing is fine.” Well, you heard the man. What are you still reading this for, anyway?
It’s great to see such honesty from Linus Torvalds about the challenges of navigating version numbers! It’s refreshing to know that even the most experienced developers can feel overwhelmed by them. Looking forward to seeing how Linux 7.0 evolves!
Absolutely, his honesty really humanizes the development process. It’s interesting to think about how versioning can impact user perception—sometimes a simple number change can signal significant updates or shifts in direction for a project.
how even the most experienced developers can feel overwhelmed by technical details. It’s a reminder that software development is a collaborative effort, where clarity and simplicity can benefit everyone involved. Linus’s approach might inspire others to prioritize user-friendly design in their projects too.
Absolutely, it’s interesting to see that even industry leaders like Linus can relate to this feeling. It highlights how important it is to prioritize clarity and usability in software design, so that everyone can contribute, regardless of their comfort with complex numbers or technical jargon.
It really is refreshing, isn’t it? It shows that even the most experienced can find numbers daunting. This also highlights the importance of making software accessible for everyone, regardless of their technical background.