With the release of Linux 3.3-rc1 last week, Linus Torvalds closed the merge window of version 3.3 of the Linux kernel. From now until this version is published, the developers will mainly integrate bug fixes and minor improvements – so the first release candidate of Linux 3.3 should already include all the major new features of this kernel version, which is expected to arrive in March. Modifications added by the kernel developers in the first phase of the development cycle are rarely removed or disabled in the currently ongoing stabilisation phase.

Therefore the Kernel Log is already in a position to provide a comprehensive overview of the most important new features of Linux 3.3. As usual, this overview will be presented within a "Coming in 3.3" series of articles that will gradually cover the kernel's various functional areas. Part 1 of the series describes the most important changes to the network stack and the LAN and Wi-Fi hardware drivers. Over the coming weeks, further articles will cover the kernel's storage support, filesystems, architecture code, infrastructure and other hardware drivers.

Team work