Linux Kernel 3.2 Released | UbuntuCafe

Linux Kernel 3.2 Released

Among the major enhancements in the 3.2 kernel is a pair of improvements to two Linux filesystems. The Ext4 filesystem is getting a boost that will see filesystem blocks grow to up to 1 MB in size up from the traditional 4 KB.


Ext4 first landed in the Linux kernel back in 2008 with the 2.6.28 kernel as the successor to Ext3. It is often used as the default filesystem in Linux distributions.

Looking beyond Ext4 is the next-generation Btrfs filesystem that is seen by some as the possible future successor to Ext4. In the new Linux 3.2 kernel, Btrfs continues to mature with performance improvements, including a scrub read-ahead.

Highlights of Linux Kernel 3.2:
  • Support for bigger block sizes in EXT4;
  • Faster scrubbing, detailed corruption messages, automatic backup of tree roots, and manual inspection of metadata in Btrfs;
  • Process bandwith controller;
  • Support for the Hexagon architecture;
  • Thin provisioning and recursive snapshots in the Device Mapper;
  • I/O-less dirty throttling, reduce filesystem writeback from page reclaim;
  • TCP Proportional Rate Reduction;
  • Improved live profiling tool "perf top";
  • Cross memory attach.
Linux kernel 3.2 also brings lots of improvements for various supported filesystems, such as EXT3, CIFS, JFFS2, EXOFS, NFS, GFS2, and SQUASHFS.

Download Linux kernel 3.2 right now.

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