An even ("stable") linux kernel is released, and called x.y.zb (ie 2.0.11b).
If it has had no problems by the time x.y.z+1 has come out, the b is removed.
If there were problems, the b is left on and z is incremented.
Of course, this might cause a lot of unnecessary traffic due to mirroring.
Maybe keep the b's in kernel/v2.0b so that the mirroring of that directory
can be avoided?
This would help in the release and distribution of the stable kernels, because
the more problematic and obvious errors (and there have been a few of them in
2.0.x) would be eliminated before the non-developers got ahold of the kernels.
In other words, it would recreate a bit of the "developer buffer" that we get
in the odd-minored kernels and save the coders embarrassment when they screw
up :-)
Mike Driscoll
<fenris@lightspeed.net>