Kernel is the operating system, performing core tasks such as managing memory and disk access as well interfacing with the hardware that makes up your system.
Kernel can handles the lower level task of actually sending appropriate instructions to a device, however if you add new device, if you add new device, you may have to enable support for it in the kernel.
This procedure to reconfigure is call as Building or Compiling the Kernel
Kernel Version
Linux kernel consists of three segments :
1 ) The Major
2 ) The Minor
3 ) The Revision Numbers.
1 )The Major number increments with major changes in the kernel.
2 )The Minor number indicates stability.
3 )The Revision Numbers refers to the corrected versions. As bugs are discovered and corrected and as new features are introduced, new revisions of a kernel are released.
a)For the Minor number, Even numbers are used for stable release, Odd numbers is reserved for development release which may unstable.
b)The revision numbers refers to the corrected versions. As bugs are discovered and corrected and as new features are introduced, new revisions of a kernel are released.
For example how to read major,minor,revision numbers :
Kernel 2.6.11-1-1369
2 is Major Number(increment of major change)
6 is Minor Number(indicates stability odd or even numbers)
11 is Revision(refer to corrected version)
1369 is a Patch Number
You could have more than one version of the kernel installed on your system.
Type uname –r (or –a for detailed info)
New Kernel are released on two different tracks,a stable tracks and a development track.
The stable kernel would be 2.6 and development kernel is 2.7
Fedora Core includes the most up-to-date stable kernel in its release. Linux kernel are available at kernel.org
One reason you my need to upgrade your kernel often is to provide support for new hardware or for a features not support by your distribution version.
Reference The Complete Reference ,Redhat Enterprise Linux and Fedora Core 4 by Richard L.Peterson-Part VI:System Administrator 709-710
