The latest version of the Linux kernel, 2.6.16, has been released with updates supporting Sun Microsystems’ Niagara chips and a popular family of Broadcom Wi-Fi chipsets, among other changes. The kernel was last updated in early January, a change which included improved support for InfiniBand. The latest update, nicknamed “Crazed Snow-Weasel,” is substantial, with two of the main improvements being Niagara support and support for wireless cards based on the Broadcom 43xx-series chipset, provided by the bcm43xx project. The chipset is embedded in many laptops and cards, including Apple Computer’s AirPort Extreme. Other changes include improvements in support for the H.323 videoconferencing standard, on-the-fly RAID5 array resizing, user-space software suspend, and the addition of the splice(), vmsplice(), tee() and sync_file_range() system calls. The update includes a new scheduler domain optimizing CPU scheduling decisions for multicore chips, which should further improve Linux’s handling on modern hardware. In May, Devicescape Software, a company with a history of developing Wi-Fi software for embedded devices, released its Linux wireless LAN driver software to open-source developers. The move may ultimately see native Wi-Fi capabilities integrated into the Linux kernel for the first time. Currently, Linux’s Wi-Fi support is patchy at best, depending on the goodwill of hardware makers such as Intel to release drivers for their own Wi-Fi chipsets. The kernel change log can be viewed online.-Matthew Broersma, Techworld.com (London)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe