Torvalds updates Linux kernel

Linux leader Linus Torvalds issued his first update to the new 2.6 kernel at the heart of the open-source operating system, releasing 2.6.1 on Friday. The new version includes changes to improve Linux for digital TV systems and for servers with Intel Itanium or Advanced Micro Devices processors, along with myriad other changes that often had been put on hold, as programmers focused on getting 2.6.0 out the door.

Although Torvalds released the new version, most of the updates were approved by Andrew Morton, who has been named to maintain the 2.6 software.