# Difference between stable kernel and unstable kernel

## rydrydryd2014

Hey, guys.

I'm wondering what's difference between gentoo-sources marked with stable and unstable. How did the gentoo developer to decide whether to mark this version as a stable one. Is there any strict test over it?   :Very Happy: 

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## Keruskerfuerst

Then read through documentation.

THe unstable kernel does contain bugs, which affect normal operation.

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## asturm

 *rydrydryd2014 wrote:*   

> Hey, guys.
> 
> I'm wondering what's difference between gentoo-sources marked with stable and unstable. How did the gentoo developer to decide whether to mark this version as a stable one. Is there any strict test over it?  

 

New upstream stable releases always enter the tree as [Gentoo=downstream] unstable (or let's say ~arch keyworded). They are stabilised after some time of no blocking bugs.

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## charles17

See https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Kernel#Kernel_stabilization.

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## krinn

unstable: something we don't know yet and keep unstable to watch it for some time

stable: something we know have no blocker that would prevent to use it

so package will goes stable after some time, but also when another dev ask it (he might be a dep of another package that need to be stabilize, and dev ask this dep stabilize in order to stabilize the package), or force (security/big bug on stable one that only newer "unstable" have fix for).

while in early days, unstable were really unstable (by that time all packages weren't really even compiling, and many need patches), today real unstable packages are kept mask, and unstable from ~ tree are more into quarantine than having real issue (if they have real issue, they are mask)

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## rydrydryd2014

 *genstorm wrote:*   

>  *rydrydryd2014 wrote:*   Hey, guys.
> 
> I'm wondering what's difference between gentoo-sources marked with stable and unstable. How did the gentoo developer to decide whether to mark this version as a stable one. Is there any strict test over it?   
> 
> New upstream stable releases always enter the tree as [Gentoo=downstream] unstable (or let's say ~arch keyworded). They are stabilised after some time of no blocking bugs.

 

Thx for replying  :Very Happy: . I don't understand what does blocking bugs mean in gentoo-sources. Since a package has blocking bugs always indicate the dependency of this package won't be satisfied. However, kernel won't cause this issue.

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## rydrydryd2014

 *krinn wrote:*   

> unstable: something we don't know yet and keep unstable to watch it for some time
> 
> stable: something we know have no blocker that would prevent to use it
> 
> so package will goes stable after some time, but also when another dev ask it (he might be a dep of another package that need to be stabilize, and dev ask this dep stabilize in order to stabilize the package), or force (security/big bug on stable one that only newer "unstable" have fix for).
> ...

 

Thank you sir! You're really professional!

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## asturm

 *rydrydryd2014 wrote:*   

> Thx for replying . I don't understand what does blocking bugs mean in gentoo-sources. Since a package has blocking bugs always indicate the dependency of this package won't be satisfied. However, kernel won't cause this issue.

 

Possible bugs (we might not know of at the time of kernel release) that are blocking stabilisation.  :Wink:  That's a completely different thing than a portage blocker.

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## rydrydryd2014

 *genstorm wrote:*   

>  *rydrydryd2014 wrote:*   Thx for replying . I don't understand what does blocking bugs mean in gentoo-sources. Since a package has blocking bugs always indicate the dependency of this package won't be satisfied. However, kernel won't cause this issue. 
> 
> Possible bugs (we might not know of at the time of kernel release) that are blocking stabilisation.  That's a completely different thing than a portage blocker.

 

Got it. Thank you very much!

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## TigerJr

 *rydrydryd2014 wrote:*   

> Hey, guys.
> 
> I'm wondering what's difference between gentoo-sources marked with stable and unstable. How did the gentoo developer to decide whether to mark this version as a stable one. Is there any strict test over it?  

 

If kernel have circular dependencies and doesn't installs from portage that is unstable kernel, thats think have portage developers .

But kernel developers think in another key:

than kernel have major version improvements(4.3.0 4.4.0) than that version is unstable cause there included many new drivers, functional patchess.

than kernel have minor version improvements(4.1.16 4.3.4) than that versions is more stable cause many security patches and bugfixes included there and than minor version number high than more bugfix patches included.

And you can choose what kernel you likes more.

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