Linux 2.2.17 Release Notes

Platforms:Alpha, PowerPC, Sparc, X86

Introduction
Linux 2.2.17 is the latest update to the Linux kernel tree. The out of the box tree supports the Alpha, PPC, Sparc and X86 platforms. MIPS is mostly merged but you should obtain the platform specific tree. ARM, M680x0 and S/390 users should get their platform specific tree.

Compilers
This code is intended to build with gcc 2.7.2 and egcs 1.1.2. Patches for building with gcc 2.95 are merged but less tested than other compilers. Caution is recommended when using gcc 2.95 and feedback is sought.

Binary Compatibility
Linux 2.2.17 changes a few internal system structures. You may need to rebuild a few third party modules such as pcmcia-cs when upgrading from older kernels to this one.

Security Notes

Linux 2.2.17 contains no significant security updates.

Security Updates

IDE/SCSI raw commands

We now require CAP_SYS_RAW_IO for these.

IP chains

A casting error could occasionally make frames be treated as fragment zero

Keymap reload

Keymap reloads now require root

Architecture Updates

Alpha

• Fix fbcon, matroxfb and pm2fb for Alpha
• Fix iovec overrun emulation for OSF
• Fix lmc and dmfe build problems on Alpha
• Remove an escaped debug message
• Various small platform fixes

i386

• Add knowledge of WinChip C6 buggy TSC
• CPU identification code knows about the Transmeta processors
• Handle Athlon cache size reporting errata
• List extra Athlon CPU flags
• Machine Check Exception handler added
• Save db6 correctly on debug traps
• SMM driver for Toshiba laptops
• Typo fix on oops reporting

MIPS

No changes

PowerPC

PPC should now be back in line between the main tree and the PPC distribution save for USB.

• ATI video fixes
• Fix zImage for chrp platforms
• Numerous small fixes

S/390

Some updates have been merged but not yet all. S/390 is not functional out of the box on 2.2.17.

Sparc

• Fix eepro100 on sparc
• Fix lockd ioctl translation
• Fix problems with SABRE
• Fix signal handling problems
• Fix sparc power handling bug
• Fix symbios scsi on sparc
• Fix string concatentation in sparc includes
• Fix TLB multi-match bugs on sparc64

CDROM

Fixes for CDROMPLAYTRKIND and rpc2 region info queries. Other fixes for some CDROM problems.

IDE

Fix the multiple ide directories in /proc bug

Iovecs

Handle iovec overruns as per BSD behaviour.

SCSI core

Hopefully fix the initrd unload problem

SCSI generic

Fix panic with some cards

SCSI tape

Various bugs fixed

VM subsystem

Fix I/O slowdown. Improve overall performance. Fix early 'no free pages' problem.

3c59x driver

Add support for the 3c556, fix various bugs

3Ware IDE Raid

A new version of the driver is included

Adaptec 29xx

The aic7xxx driver has been updated. EISA/VLB card problems should be fixed too.

ALi 5451 audio

Added support for the midi port on this chipset

AT1700

Small fixes

Baycom

Several cleanups

Bonding

Fix several crash cases on unload/setup with the bonding driver

BTTV TV card

Support multiple norms

CS4280/CS46xx

A driver for most CS4280 and CS46xx cards has been added.

CS4281

A driver for the Crystal CS4281 sound chip has been added.

Cyclades Serial

Small driver updates

DAC960 driver

A new release of the DAC960 driver has been incorporated

DE4X5

Fix problems with 100Mbit full duplex

Doubletalk

Fix select handling bugs

EEpro

Several fixes applied

EEpro100

Use I/O mode not MMIO for now

EMU0K

Merge an initial driver for the emu10k chip (SBLive! and friends)

ES1370

Fix a bug in GETOSPACE

ES1371

Add support for revision 8 boards. Fix a bug in GETOSPACE

ESS 1879

Fix incorrect sound on some setups

ESS Solo

Start card with mic input turned down to avoid feedback

Etherworks 3

Added support for byte counters

HDLC driver

This has been updated to the latest code

I2O

Fix scsi crash on boot problem, block scan for multiple drives, better boot volume handling.

IMM/PPA Zip driver

Fix problems with PCI interfaces

Initio SCSI

Fix crash on unload problems

IP2 Serial

Fix config ioctl bug

IXJ Telephony

Resynchronized withthe vendor driver releases

Intel i810 audio

Several API and other fixes have been made. The high CPU usage problem with xmms has been fixed.

Lanmedia

Fix serveral driver problems and update driver

MD software raid

Fixed the problems in 2.2.16 with block size errors

PC300

A driver for the Cyclades PC300 has been added

PS/2 mouse

Lockup on reconnect of a mouse on an SMP box is fixed

QlogicFC

Driver updates and bug fixes

RIO serial

Bring in line with 2.4 driver

Smart2 RAID

Added another card to the known boards, minor fixes

SX Serial

Fixed DTR on close bug. Bring in line with 2.4 driver

Synclink

Driver updates

Thunderlan

Driver updates

Yamaha PCI audio

Fix problems when it is compiled in.

AFFS

Small fixes

Atari Partition Probe

Perform atari probe last to avoid false positives

CODA

General updates to the CODA interface code

Ext2

Set file types on sockets. Fix typo in error message.

FAT

Fix a problem with FATfs on CD-ROM

ISOfs

Fix off by one error on some CD reading. Fix 2K alignment bug.

NCPfs

Fix handling of 16bit characters

NFS

Fixed a race in the NFS code that would report the cache already locked. Don't listen for TCP on the lockd port.

NTfs

Fix some problems. Stop it trying to handle Win2K.

SMBfs

General cleanup. Fix rename on OS/2.

UMSDOS

Most UMSDOS problems are now believed fixed

bitops

The bit operations on some platforms did not work for all cases

Memory leaks

Several obscure memory leaks on error paths of drivers have been fixed

VA rename

VA Research became VA Linux

Vger.kernel.org

The main kernel mailing lists moved. This is reflected in the documentation for 2.2.17

Warnings

A general effort to remove some of the warnings from the code

Appletalk

Improve the handling of AARP when an address gets reused by another node. Fix other small appletalk bugs.

IRDA

Fix problems in the parameter parser. Fix memory leak.

IRIX food fight

Fixed a problem that caused Linux and Irix boxes to occasionally get into food fights with FIN frames

Masquerading

Document new ipmasqadm tool locations

PPP

Some obscure oops cases have been fixed

Race

A race between device unloading and packet dequeueing has been fixed

Sockets

A potential situation where incorrect errors were set on sockets has been fied.

TCP

Fix some hangs and crashes under very high VM load. Fix some other problems with very busy sites