The kernel developers have added new features to thousands of the Linux kernel's existing drivers and integrated numerous additional drivers. This further increases the variety of hardware supported by Linux.

Linux 2.6.31.2 not only offers minor bug fixes, but also selected major changes. The X.org hackers have adapted their development strategy and, in the long term, plan to merge several drivers back into the X Server code.

The Xen 4.0 domain 0 where all of the hardware drivers run defaults to the Linux 2.6.31 kernel, which supports the new processors coming out from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, but you can get out on the bleeding edge with the Linux 2.6.32 kernel or step back to the 2.6.18 kernel if you like to be back closer to the pommel.

With the Linux 2.6.32 kernel being released in a few days, we found it time to benchmark this newest kernel release that brings new drivers, kernel mode-setting improvements, virtualization enhancements, and more.

"The Debian project made a splash on Sunday with the announcement that two new “architectures” had been added to the Debian FTP archive. Debian has always supported a wide range of processors, though; these architectures are different and noteworthy because instead of providing Debian on different hardware, they build the OS on a completely different kernel: FreeBSD’s.

The maintainer of the Linux stable series has released kernel version 2.6.29.1. It contains nearly 50 fixes and minor enhancements for the ten day old Linux 2.6.29 which saw Tuz the Tasmanian devil stand in temporarily as mascot.

With ATI Catalyst 9.8, ATI finally has support for newer kernels. The Linux 2.6.29 kernel was released in March, but it has taken until today for AMD to release any support for this kernel. However, at the same time, they have also released support for the Linux 2.6.30 kernel, which arrived back in June.

Here's one from the file of random stuff you see when you put a new machine on the upstream kernel instead of the distro kernel. USB drivers for Linux will be GPL-only with the release of the upcoming kernel 2.6.25.. USB maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman writes: "Over two years ago, the Linux USB developers stated that they believed there was no way to create a USB kernel driver that was not under the GPL. This patch moves the USB apis to enforce that decision."

Customizing and building your own Linux kernel means you can add new experimental drivers, get rid of drivers you don't need, fix mistakes created by your chosen distro, and make a lean, mean and fast kernel. Akkana Peck continues her series on kernel building.