Why Linux Kernel 2.6 Rocks

Interesting, but the 2.6 kernel isn't exactly "new" anymore...

Tell that to Pat Volkerding.

> Interesting, but the 2.6 kernel isn't exactly "new" anymore...

It hasn't been exactly stable either. I personally think the developers made a mistake in not continuing with a 2.7 series, but they're the ones doing the coding, not me.

> Tell that to Pat Volkerding.

Pat's had the 2.6 kernel in extras for a long time now, just not as the default. He prefers stable over cutting edge, but provides cutting edge for those who need it. And, of course, he always provides the tools you need to compile things yourself.

this is old mold and foofy to boot. I was hoping for more in-depth, like how TF to make HAL and frikken udev work, and why does udev require config files full of data on zillions of specific devices except the ones you actually have, and why doesn't it probe your system to see what's already there and then writing the rules, and what's new with IPv6 and other networking stuff, and what is up with Pat Volkerding anyway? He made all that noise about being sick and how stupid doctors are, and the entire universe was all horrified and sad and supportive, and then he got a diagnosis and clammed up and wouldn't talk about it anymore. Which I thought was rather declasse after spilling his guts all over us, sheesh.

> this is old mold and foofy to boot.

Yeah, a litany of what we already know about it.

> and what is up with Pat Volkerding anyway?

I think a new addition to the family had more to do with his recent silence than anything else. From the changelog at the time:

------------------------------------------------------- Sat Dec 10 23:28:42 CST 2005

It's a girl! :-)

I know a lot of you have been wondering what's going on here, and the news is that my wife Andrea delivered our first child, a daughter Briah Cecilia (briah at slackware dot com :-) on 2005-11-22, and that event (and the weeks that led up to it) has had to take priority over the usual tasks of download/compile/test/package/upload.

-------------------------------------------------------

Anyone who's had to deal with a new child knows that Patrick probably didn't get much sleep for the first six months or so after she was born.

Patrick made his health problems public back in the fall of 2004 and made a public request for help,(see the November 16, 2004 entry at http://web.archive.org/web/20050206180243/http://slackware.c...), so whatever was going on wasn't related to getting up in the night to change diapers. The story made Slashdot http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/16/1846207 and every other geek website in the known universe, and maybe some alien ones too. It was quite a large fuss.

His final post on that page says "I'm not looking for attention, and don't want to be a Slashdot story again or anything like that." Ahem. Ok, whatever. I really don't care, and it's his prerogative to go private after making such a huge public splash. But he did start it. :)

OK, TC, I'm confused.

> Patrick made his health problems public back in the fall of 2004 and made a public request for help.

Yes, and the entire affair was covered, pretty much in public, up until he started recovering, at which point he disappeared for a while, presumably to recuperate. He was gone for (from memory) several months with almost no activity on Slackware. Then, presumably after he had recovered, he finished up Slackware 10.2 and has been working (except for a break at the time of his daughter's birth) pretty consistently on 11.0 since.

My understanding is that his illness was quite serious, and could have killed him, though I really only have his word on this. I admit that he hasn't been very public during or since his recovery, but how is that a problem?

> OK, TC, I'm confused.

Yeah, me too. as you say, 'it's his prerogative to go private', but you seem to be really pissed that he did? I think we all like a little privacy with our personal lives at times, and that may not be consistent or rational to others. Give the guy a break. Or is this one of those 'chick revenge things'? (ducks and runs very fast :D)

Don't you think it's a bit mean to all the people who were genuinely concerned and wanted to help to first say "help me, big public noise, everyone must know", and then later go "OK, changed my mind, you all go away now"? He made a very big deal over the whole deal and posted long, detailed messages about his trials and tribulations, especially about not being able to get a diagnosis. Then when apparently he did get some help he clammed up and did not say any more. I'm not mad about it, and I really don't care that much. It is good that he is doing better and Slackware still chugs along. It just seems a bit inconsiderate to slam the door after he invited the world into his health problems in the first place.

Dude, chill. He got better. It's perfectly appropriate to say, 'thanks for your help and support, and now that I'm better I'd like to go back to being a normal person.' Not everyone loves the spotlight. Maybe he just wanted help finding a diagnosis, and possibly a little monetary help. There's nothing wrong or inconsiderate about going private again. His life isn't GPL'd.

TC:

OK, now I understand. Point taken. I don't think I agree, but I can understand where you're coming from.

> Don't you think it's a bit mean to all the people

Well, inconsiderate yes, and, he could have handled it better, but I doubt that was the intent. A sin of omission, but, certainly not intentional meanness.