Linux creator, preogrammer Linus Torvalds released Linux 3.9 earlier this week with improved performance features. This is the second major release for Linux this year and follows Linux 3.8 which was released in February. Updated features applied to the new open source operating system bring added speed and efficiency.
"Whatever the reason, this week has been very quiet, which makes me much more comfortable doing the final 3.9 release, so I guess the last -rc8 ended up working. Because not only aren't there very many commits here, even the ones that made it really are tiny and pretty obscure and not very interesting," Torvalds said in an announcement email early Monday.
Some of the key features of Linux 3.9 are as follows:
1. Chrome OS support for laptops
Linux kernel 3.9 adds complete support for laptops that run Chrome OS, which includes all the devices present in the Chromebook laptops offered by various companies.
2. SSD cache for faster performance
Linux 3.9 is capable of using a fast device such as a solid-state drive (SSD) as a cache for slower devices like a rotating disk, resulting in faster performance under heavy loads.
3. Improved power efficiency
Linux 3.9 features an Intel PowerClamp driver which performs synchronized idle injection across all online CPUs. "The goal is to maintain a given package level C-state ratio. Compared to other throttling methods already exist in the kernel, such as ACPI PAD (taking CPUs offline) and clock modulation, this is often more efficient in terms of performance per watt," the changelog details.
4. New architecture from Synopsys, Imagination
The latest Linux 3.9 release brings the Linux kernel port to the ARC700 processor core family (750D and 770D) from Synopsys and also to Imagination's Meta ATP (Meta 1) and HTP (Meta 2) processor cores. Synopsys' DesignWare ARC700 family 32-bit processor cores are highly configurable and power efficient. These are often found embedded in system on chip (SoC), TV set-top boxes and also digital media players. Imagination's Meta 32-bit processor cores are general purpose embedded processors found in many digital radios.
5. KVM support in ARM
Virtualization capabilities now exist in the Linux ARM ecosystem. Support for the KVM Kernel-based virtualization system is now offered in the ARM architecture port.
6. Android Developer Support
Linux 3.9 features added support for Google Android's "Goldfish" emulator, which provides a virtual CPU and drivers for battery, audio and graphics. It's now possible to develop Android with out-of-the-box kernels.
