This update adds a fully configured VMWare virtual machine image that includes the latest streamline sources (SVN-730) and a thoroughly tested Linux kernel version (2.6.24.2). Installing streamline can be complex; this release makes it easy to take the system for a test drive. The virtual machine contains a complete Ubuntu 9.04 server installation, generating a 1.1GB download. The image decompresses to 4GB.
This is primarily a maintenance update, comprising tens of bugfixes and usability updates. New major features include filter access control to allow unprivileged users to safely run fast I/O code in the kernel (think BPF) and an optimizer that uses linear programming to map I/O tasks onto hardware. Read the README for important notes on system support (at least up to Ubuntu 10.04 and Linux kernel 2.6.31) and known issues.
This version updates the stream language to be a
superset of Unix shell pipelines and improves
support for hybrid pipelines consisting of
streamline filters (e.g., in the network stack)
and full Unix processes. Because of the extensive
interface changes, this version is less mature
than 1.7.4.5 and has little documentation (other
than the mailing list).
This is mainly a bugfix release for PipesFS, which proved to have many (even shameful) bugs in its first release. All known issues but one have been resolved. Unrelated new features include the mpipe() call for multi-consumer pipes, an interface to directly manipulate active filters, and an expanded automated test set to minimize future regressions.
