Linux Kernel Development
The kernel which forms the core of the Linux system is the result of one of the largest cooperative software projects ever attempted. Regular 2 – 3 month releases deliver stable updates to Linux users, each with significant new features, added device support, and improved performance. The rate of change in the kernel is high and increasing, with approximately 10,000 patches going
into each recent kernel release. These releases each contain the work of over 1000 developers representing around 200 corporations.
Since 2005, over 6100 individual developers from over 600 different companies have contributed to the kernel. The Linux kernel, thus, has become a common resource developed on a massive scale by companies which are fierce competitors in other areas.
The first version of this study was published in 2008; it was then updated in 2009. That update noted a number of changes, including a 10% increase in the number of developers participating in each release cycle, a notable increase in the number of companies participating, and a tripling of the rate at which code is being added to the kernel. At that time, all of the numbers were in a period of rapid increase.
As documented in the last paper, in 2009 the Linux community saw, with the release of 2.6.30, a peak in the lines of code added. This can largely be attributed to significant new features being added to the kernel, most notably the first additions of Btrfs, perf and ftrace, as well as the peak of the inflow from the Linux-staging tree that had been happening for some time.
This update shows a slightly different picture. The number of commits peaked with the 2.6.30 release; the number of commits for 2.6.35 was 18% lower. Most other metrics have fallen as well.
In short, we see a step back from the frenzied activity of 2.6.30 even though the number of developers involved has fallen only slightly since its peak in 2.6.32.
The numbers in this edition of the paper reflect the natural development cycle of an operating system that had major pieces added/changed in the previous year. Of course the Linux kernel community is still hard at work and growing. In fact, there have been 1.5 million lines of code added to the kernel since the 2009 update. Since the last paper, additions and changes translate to an amazing 9,058 lines added, 4,495 lines removed, and 1,978 lines changed every day — weekends and holidays included.
The data in this year’s update also shows a good showing of new players in the Linux kernel development space from the world of mobile/consumer electronics and embedded technology (and their suppliers). This is a healthy development and not surprising given the growth of Linux usage in embedded devices, even though the authors would like to see more companies from that space participate in the Linux development community.
The overall picture shows a robust development community which continues to grow both in size and in productivity […].
Weiterführende Links:
http://kernelnewbies.org/
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Linux
Betrieb / Systèmes d'exploitation (Server & Client)37 Firmen, 28 Referenzen
Als Linux oder GNU/Linux (siehe GNU/Linux-Namensstreit) bezeichnet man in der Regel freie, unix-ähnliche Mehrbenutzer-Betriebssysteme, die auf dem Linux-Kernel und wesentlich auf GNU-Software...
Erstellt: 25.09.2012