Info

Background info on the Linux kernel development process and notes on the predictions.

Kernel Process

For the longest time, the Linux kernel development cycles have followed the pattern:

• Upon release of the previous kernel version, a two-week merge window opens for features heading to the next release.

• The release candidate -rc1 closes the merge window, and marks the beginning of the stabilization period aiming for release.

• There are seven or eight release candidates, more commonly seven.

• The release candidates and releases happen on a weekly basis, almost invariably on a Sunday.

• The release cycle length is thus nine or ten weeks.

Notes on Predictions

This project predicts the current and upcoming development cycle release candidate and release dates based on the latest tag in the upstream Linux git repository, i.e. a single data point.

• Whether -rc8 occurs or not is the main source of uncertainty in the predictions.

• -rc8 is only included if it has actually occurred; otherwise it increases uncertainty in the following predictions by a week.

• Uncertainty is expressed as a date range.

• The date and date range format follows ISO-8601.

• Dates not landing on a Sunday are rounded to the nearest Sunday for simplicity. Very rarely this leads to incorrect tagging dates being presented.

Completely accurate and trustworthy, right?