Many Linux distros now have splintered into flavors? Even slackware is v11 or 12? Rhel and Fedora. DSL and DSL/N. Ubuntu window manager flavours?

The reason is kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x are both suitable for use independently. The difference being /dev or /usr drivers. /dev drivers do support many ambiguous devices that needed firmware installation before they are recognized by port assignment. The need to go with kernel 2.6.x with /usr drivers, is not necessarily the wisest approach; when you have to suppress the /dev at boot time.

However, most of us did not appreciate, that we boot into bios vga, keyboard and mouse console. Then we select our best drivers. We could stay with bios and run with browser though.

The main difference between 2.4.x and 2.6.x is the data updating synchronization; yet 2.6.x still failed to update correctly. So, new drivers are more problems than using bios drivers.

It will be 5 more years to learn realtime threads and posix packets, for kernel 2.6.x to be mature enough to be used to advantage. In the meantime, those of us still using simple operating system, is upgrading browsers for realtime threads and packets usage.

It is beginning to see the end of the tunnel for browsers to operate better in older operating systems. The bloated operating system is also being improved on the browser level.

The age of industrialization forced the invention of interchangeable parts. And Linux is made of parts or modules compiled into file systems for automation of computer tasks. Eventually microkernels will do independent tasks in many threads and by packets for data transfer. What is 5 years, to make it happen? Two of the tasks are printing and monitor display, straight to maximum resolution by pixels, zooming from thumbnails?