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The newest version of the Linux kernel has arrived, and with it a host of new features.

"One of the most noticeable elements in the new release is the kernel inclusion of fastboot, an enhancement designed to speed startup for Linux-based systems," writes LinuxPlanet's Sean Michael Kerner.

"2.6.30 adds a lot to file system support, including the object-based storage device files system NILFS2; a caching layer for local caching of NFS data; the RDS protocol for high-performance, reliable connections between the servers of a cluster; the POHMELFS distributed networking file system; and automatic flushing of files on renames in ext3, ext4 and btrfs," notes Computerworld's Rodney Gedda.

"While 2.6.30 may not be the most exciting Linux kernel release, it does include several very solid and important improvements," writes Computerworld's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. "Personally, I plan on switching my servers over to 2.6.30-based distributions as soon as they become available. If your concerns are mostly with the Linux desktop though I wouldn't be in that much of a hurry, most of the updates are more important for server administrators than desktop users."

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