Linux Kernal Numbering System

The great thing about the Linux Kernel is that it's always being updated and revised by programmers. With these updated there is a need for keeping them in order and being able to identify them. That is where the numbering system came in.

The numbering scheme consist of 4 numbers. The first denotes the kernel version. It is changed only when major changes in the concept and the code of the kernel occur. The second number represents the major revision of the kernel version. The third number stands for the minor revision of the kernel and it is only changed when new features or drivers are added. Finally, the fourth number represents corrections for things such as security patches and bugs fixes. Sometimes the numbers are followed by letters and those letters are followed by other numbers. These refer to a release candidate and a non-official release. Sometimes other letters indicate the person responsible for that release.

Currently the numbers that represent the most recent Linux Kernel are 2.6.11.