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The kernel release lifecycle
Week 0: the merge window opens
- All new features and major changes merged
- Can be several thousand patches
Week 2: 2.6.x-rc1 is released
- Merge window closes – no new features (usually)
- Patch rate remains high – but should all be fixes
Weeks 3-8: additional -rc releases
- Patch rate slows as bugs get fixed
Week 8: 2.6.x is released
- 2.6.x.y bug fix releases come later