Naming convention of patches (& kernels as well) eg -rc, -mm, -rc-mm etc

sudhirkumar · 08-28-2007, 07:50 AM

Hi all
can any one please explain in detail the naming convention for patches and the kernel source. For ex there are patches named 2.6.23.rc4 and 2.6.23-rc3-mm1 what do they indicate. What -rc and -mm stand for? Similarly what does a kernel name indicates if it has fields as -rc, -mm, or both.

Thank you

reddazz · 08-28-2007, 08:55 AM

Hi and welcome to LQ.

The *-mm kernels are experimental patches to the main kernel released by Andrew Morton. If you search on google from kernel+mm you will find more info about the *-mm kernels.

nx5000 · 08-28-2007, 09:27 AM

For a start:
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Docum...ng-patches.txt
http://kernel.org/patchtypes/pre.html
http://kernel.org/patchtypes/mm.html

sudhirkumar · 08-29-2007, 04:45 AM

Thank you reddazz !

sudhirkumar · 08-29-2007, 04:52 AM

Thank you very much nx5000.
Those links really cleared all my doubts....Thanks again..
(Amazing experience of LQ !! )

nx5000 · 08-29-2007, 05:33 AM

There's a lot (not all unfortunatly) of good information in the Documentation directory of the kernel.

syg00 · 08-29-2007, 05:43 AM

Also do a search for "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell". Covers all this rather well.
Available in hardcopy, but the author also has offered it for download.