What maxim Kernel version for what hardware

[nick65go]

My understating about chasing new versions of linux_kernel (on tiny-core website) is that someone current physical hardware could be better supported (aka bug fixed, speed improvement). It is not about new hardware, because you do not buy new hardware and only then check if is working in linux.

For me it matters the SPEED: CPU (single/multi processor), storage type, USB type. For example how to know when is enough, asking google/AI, I found (quickly) what MINIMUM kernel version I would need for USB speed:

type                                                            Kernel version
USB 1.0/1.1                               (12 Mbit/s), Kernel 2.2.18+ , stable in kernels 2.4.0
USB 2.0                                     (480 Mbit/s), Kernel 2.4.10, Stable Support: 2.4.19, Optimal 2.6.18
USB 3.0    / (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1)    (5 Gbit/s),  Kernel 2.6.31, Stable Support: 2.4.19, recommend kernel 3.4+
USB 3.1    / (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1)    (10 Gbit/s), Kernel 4.6, 
USB 3.2   / (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2)     (20 Gbit/s) /USB-C , kernel 4.12 /4.18, Recommended 5.3
USB4       / (USB4 Gen 3x2)         (40 Gbit/s), kernel 5.6 , Stable Support: 5.10 /5.15
USB4 v2  / (USB4 Gen 4x2)         (80 Gbit/s), kernel 6.5, Stable Support: 6.10, maturing in 6.12+

Linux 6.5+: Thunderbolt 5: This technology forms the basis for Intel's Thunderbolt 5, which also offers 80 Gbit/s bi-directional or 120 Gbit/s asymmetric speeds.
So for USB 2.x sockets, a kernel 3.x   is enough 
So for USB 3.x sockets, a kernel 5.3+ is enough 
So for USB 4.x sockets, a kernel 6.12+ is enough, etc 
For the "correct" kernel versions, about proper/mature support for UBS + GPU + HDD/SDD/NVme see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel_version_history

    [Edit]: Corrected typo. Changed  40 Mbit/s  to  480 Mbit/s.  Rich

[mocore]

thanks for taking the time to share "your" research on this topic

>So for USB N.x sockets, a kernel N.x   is enough

wrt :"is enough" assumption

what effect is expected if (apparent) minimum version "required" is not met ?

..any one with hw / time to test the above assertions ?
( i see slow speeds are noted , that presumably results from falling back to older more tested usb 2/1 )

or links or search terms to find reference to any of the presumably many relevant bugs ....

ftr / afair
my only experience with usb failing to meet my expectations
has been slow loading when booting (afair grub2) with (i assume ) usb3 capable devices storage devices on usb capable pc hw

it was unclear to me weather or not! ...the exact cause was hw-config or sw-config or some combination of both !!

my understanding of this boot time pre-linux  is limited
but i have found mention from other ppl booting other OS's 
about encountering these apparent muddy waters

though its an area that i imagine few will stray far enough from the beaten path to encounter
let alone find time to care to file/fix bugs that might lurk in the brief pre-os domain of such setup's
 

[nick65go]

To be "truly" nomadic, the linux should boot from external medium, lets say (but not limited to) from  CDROM /DVDROM, USB-stick, HDD-external, PXE + network). Plus at destination to have the appropriate interfaces to boot that storage (PATA/SATA/SCSI/Firewire/USB).

In this post I limit (myself) to physical CD / DVD connected by PATA or USB. For USB theoretical maxim speed I wrote previously.
I try to "demonstrate" that a bus like ATA/33 (33 MB/s) is enough for a CD or DVD, because the limited maxim theoretical speed for CD or DVD.

PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment) interfaces, commonly known as IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics):
Common Standards: ATA/33, ATA/66, ATA/100, and ATA/133. Speed range from 33 MB/s up to 133 MB/s
PS: Significantly slower than SATA, which ranges [150 - 969] MB/s 

Extra info for SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)
SATA I (1.5 Gbps): 150 MB/s maximum theoretical speed
SATA II (3 Gbps): 300 MB/s maximum theoretical speed.
SATA III (6 Gbps): 600 MB/s maximum theoretical speed.     (Typical SSDs operate around 500–550 MB/s.)

CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory)
    KB/s                Mbit/s          MB/s   RPM (at edge) Equivalent
1×  150                 1.2288             0.146    200–530
2×  300                 2.4576             0.293    400–1,060
4×  600                 4.9152             0.586    800–2,120
8×  1,200               9.8304             1.17   1,600–4,240
10× 1,500              12.2880             1.46   2,000–5,300   UBS 1.0/1.1 (12 Mbit/s)
12× 1,800              14.7456             1.76   2,400–6,360
20× 1,200–3,000      < 24.5760          <  2.93   4,000 (CAV)
24× 1,440–3,600      < 29.4910          <  3.51   4,800 (CAV)
32× 1,920–4,800      < 39.3216          <  4.69   6,400 (CAV)   USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s)
36× 2,160–5,400      < 44.2368          <  5.27   7,200 (CAV)
40× 2,400–6,000      < 49.1520         <  5.86   8,000 (CAV)
48× 2,880–7,200      < 58.9824          <  7.03   9,600 (CAV)
52× 3,120–7,800      < 63.8976          <  7.62  10,400 (CAV) ...undesirable noise (disk vibration, rushing air, spindle motor)
56× 3,360–8,400      < 68.8128          <  8.20  11,200 (CAV)
72× 6,750–10,800     < 88.4736          < 10.50  2,700 (multi-beam) << far from USB 3.0 (5 Gbit/s)!! 


DVD (Digital video/Versatile Disk)
      Mbit/s   MB/s    RPM (constant linear velocity)   Equivalent-CDROM            Equvialent-USB
1×    11       1.38    1400 (inner) 580 (outer)         cdrom-10x (max. 1.46 MB/s)  USB 1.0/1.1 (12 Mbit/s)
2×    22       2.8     2800 (inner) 1160 (outer)        cdrom-20x (max. 2.93 MB/s)
2.4×  27       3.3     3360 (inner) 1392 (outer)       
2.6×  29       3.6     3640 (inner) 1508 (outer)        cdrom-24x (max. 3.51 MB/s)
3×    33       4.1     4200 (inner) 2320 (outer)
4×    44       5.5     5600 (inner) 2900 (outer)        cdrom-36x (max. 5.27 MB/s)  USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s) !!
6×    67       8.3     8400 (inner) 3480 (outer)
8×    89      11.1     4640 (CAV; no longer uses CLV)   cdrom-72x (max.10 MB/s)
10×  111      13.9     5800
12×  133      16.6     6960
16×  177      22.2     9280                             limit reading speed to 16× (constant angular velocity)
18×  199      24.9    10440
20×  222      27.7    11600
22×  244      30.5    12760
24×  266      33.2    13920                             PATA/33 (33 MB/s)

extra (unsolicited) info:
CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory), in Mode1 format: raw sector =2,352 bytes (16 bytes header + 2,048 bytes DATA +288 bytes CRC).
- "1× speed CD". =  153.6 kB/s (150 KiB/s). Size CDROM = 650 MB
- "1× speed DVD" = 1,385 kB/s (1,353 KiB/s); Size DVD=4.7GB =aprox. 6x CDROM.
If the disc spins at a constant angular velocity (CAV), the linear velocity is 2.4 times higher at the outer edge.

(temporary) Summary:
- max. CD-72x (ha, ha, very few) is equivalent speed to a DVD-8x suitable for PATA/33 , or USB 3.0
- CD-36x is equivalent speed to a DVD-4x suitable for PATA/33, or UBS 3.0 (practicaly USB 2.0, YMMV) 
- max. CD-32x is suitable for PATA/33, or USB 2.0A max. CD-10x is equivalent speed to a DVD-1x suitable for PATA/33, or USB 1.1

    [Edit]: Corrected typo. Changed  40 Mbit/s  to  480 Mbit/s, two places.  Rich

[nick65go]

FYI: my previous post (for CD, DVD, PATA) was "worked" (aka shame-less copy+paste 100% + polish layout) 
using just Wikipedia, without A.I., so for the skeptics ones here are the links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_ATA 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-ROM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD
The purpose was to refresh the (human) memory for interconnections of booting storage + interfaces + (not necessary the TC) kernel features.

[nick65go]

1.thanks for taking the time to share "your" research on this topic

2. what effect is expected if (apparent) minimum version "required" is not met ?

3. my only experience with usb failing to meet my expectations
has been slow loading when booting (afair grub2) with (i assume ) usb3 capable devices storage devices on usb capable pc hw

1. A.I.+ google were using as a starting point, but then Wikipedia was my friend for USB speed limits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB

2. "required" means that kernel staring to implement the specification; but later bugs discovered + fixed; then later no more (major) improvements. you are welcome to do your proper research and to invalidate my list, in a constructive way.

3. Please do not (always) trust what big device manufacture take pride to lie to you advertise. They bet that you as a common consumer will not dare to go in court with them because  a so small issue.

[nick65go]

I kindly ask admin of this forum to correct a typo / mistake in my post 1 and 2:
USB 2.0 has maxim transfer speed 480 Mbit/s (and real data transfer 58 MB/s); not 40 Mbit/s, sorry.

mocore: Thank you, you stimulated me to check again my numbers.
But the conclusions remain the same about CD / DVD devices + USB interface.

[Rich]

Hi nick65go
Your typos have been corrected.