The Big Linux 2.6.35 Kernel Problem Is Fixed

Last week we reported on a disastrous bug within the Linux 2.6.35 kernel that while this kernel is still months from being officially released, a major regression was introduced that slaughtered the Linux system's performance. This was experienced across multiple systems, architectures, and file-systems. Today we can officially report that this problem has been resolved.

With yesterday's automated kernel tests via our Phoromatic-powered test farm that monitors the Linux kernel performance on a daily basis with the results being available at kernel-tracker.phoromatic.com. Using the 2 June kernel from the Ubuntu mainline PPA no longer causes a major performance hit and all of the test result values have returned to their levels prior to this kernel bug that lasted about one week.

We are continuing to investigate the problem and in the coming days Matthew Tippett will be delivering a redux article on the topic of this major Linux 2.6.35 kernel problem, including steps we are taking to better engage with the kernel developers and other communities as well as delivering even more useful test results. To us at least, it still is a real problem that such a regression can be introduced in the mainline kernel and live there for a number of days without being addressed -- especially when it negatively affects the operating system's performance in so many different areas.

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