| The Linux kernel is subject to constant improvement and development, and new versions (releases) are published regularly. To prevent users from getting confused and to identify stable versions, we distinguish between so-called hacker and user kernels. The version of a Linux kernel is denoted by a tuple composed of three letters, x,y,z: A hacker kernel is not a kernel version used by malicious people to break into highly classified computers. The very opposite is the case; in fact, a hacker kernel is the prototype of a Linux kernel under further development. Normally, new concepts and functions have been added to such a prototype and some errors of the previous version have been (hopefully) removed. Hacker kernels are in the testing phase, and faulty behavior or system failure has to be expected at any time. They mainly serve to integrate and test new drivers and functionalities. Once a sufficient number of new drivers and technologies have been added to a hacker kernel, Linus Torvalds will proclaim a so-called feature freeze. This means that no new functionality can be integrated, and the only change allowed to that prototype is to remove errors. The objective is a stable user kernel. You can identify a hacker kernel by its odd y version number (e.g.,2.3.z, where z denotes the consecutive number of the kernel version). The next version (e.g., 2.3.51), will then have removed some errors of 2.3.50. User kernels are stable kernel versions, where you can assume that they are normally free from errors. A user kernel is denoted by an even version number, e.g., 2.2.z. Such versions are recommended to normal users, because you don't have to fear that the system might crash. For example, when version 2.3.51 is very stable and the feature freeze has already been proclaimed, then the kernel will be declared user kernel 2.4.1. New drivers and properties will then be added to hacker kernel 2.5.1.
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