The developers are considering which version of the kernel is suited for that release

May 8, 2014 14:40 GMT  ·  By

The Debian development team is considering which Linux kernel will eventually make it into the final version of Debian 8.0 “Jessie,” and it seems that 3.16 might be the perfect candidate.

Debian has a long development cycle, which means that it's a little difficult to determine beforehand what the Linux kernel that you are aiming at is. Developers can't just integrate whichever latest kernel is made available, because it requires testing and fixes, so they have to determine a version that will get them enough time for a proper implementation.

“Based on a linear regression of Linux release dates since 3.2, I extrapolated that the latest stable release at freeze time will likely be 3.17. However, there will be little time for any necessary but disruptive fixes or packaging changes before the freeze.”

“The earlier we freeze the kernel, the more work will be required to backport fixes and hardware enablement during the jessie support period. So I think that 3.16 would be the best fit. It is also very unlikely that a PREEMPT_RT patchset will be available for 3.15 or 3.17, but there probably will be one for 3.16,” said Ben Hutchings on the official mailing list.

The fact that the Linux kernels have a somewhat exact schedule helps developers plan ahead what the final version that needs to ship with a distribution will be.

The release date for Debian 8.0 “Jessie” hasn't been determined yet, but the final freeze for the operating system will be in place on February 5, 2015.