(Release Notes for 2.6.17-rc3-no2)  "The Colonel's Own"
(cheater-conrad,joecool, and predatorfreak)

{-----Release-Specific-----}
This release is based off of the latest TESTING patch for the stable linux kernel tree (2.6.17-rc3)
This release introduces Nosched, which allows cpu scheduler selection via Kconfig.

{-----Patchset-Specific-----}
No-Sources is based off of the EXPERIMENTAL branch of the linux tree, -mm. No-sources is available
for users to test some experimental/testing features and have a optimized/performance kernel. Despite
all these experimental patches, most releases work on 9 architectures, and every release is usable, and
perfectly fine for standard every day use.

{-----NOSched-Selection Patch-----}
DEFAULT == Staircase <Performance Scheduler>
The NOSched-Selection Patch, is a patch for the linux kernel, created by cheater-conrad and predatorfreak
that allows you to choose via Kconfig, between -mm staircase or -mm ingosched. All scheduler code is in
its original state, and in-tact, just as the original scheduler is. Following this method is the smarter
way to go, and there is nothing that will possible slow it down, not even the tiniest bit.
MM+Staircase and Vanilla+Staircase tests have showed atleast 5x improvement in -mm
Staircase has showed us unbelievable and remarkable results in the benchmarks ran (compared to ingosched)

Base:

2.6.17-rc3.bz2 | pre-patch to the 2.6.16 linux kernel

2.6.17-rc3-mm1.bz2 | Andrew Morton's experimental/testing patchset

No-Patches:

nosched-0.1-2.6.17-rc3-mm1.patch | Select which cpu scheduler to use via Kconfig
config-nr-tty-devices-r1.patch | Configure # of tty devices in the Kconfig (revision by predatorfreak)
no-tag.diff | Tag the latest no-sources release
optimize-default-kconfig-opts.patch | Effectively optimize default kconfig opts for a standard desktop

Bug Fixes:

reiser4-radix-tree-direct-data-fix.patch | Fix reiser4 problem from 2.6.17-rc3-mm1

Filesystems:

squashfs-3.0.patch | Support for the squash filesystem

Selectable Extendable CPU Support:

cpu-support.patch | Allows selectable extended CPU support, the below patches improve/fix problems with this.
movsl-mask.patch
mtrr-cpusupport.patch

Spock:

fbsplash-0.9.2-r5-2.6.17-rc3-mm1.patch | Support for gensplash
vesafb-tng-1.0-rc1-r3-2.6.17-rc3-mm1.patch | vesafb alternitive

L-7 Filter Support:

netfilter-later7-2.1.patch | Layer7 Support for Netfilter.

Realtime Linux Security Modules:

realtime-lsm.patch | Support for the real-time linux security module

Other:

usb-mouse-polling.patch | USB Mouse polling hack.
ibm-fancontrol.patch | Allows you to control the fan speed on the IBM ThinkPad.
usbxchange5.patch | Support for loading firmware onto the USBXchange/USB2Xchange USB to SCSI converter.
vmsplit-config-options.patch | This was removed from -mm, incidently or purposely, but I want it there.