Android 5.0 to Feature Linux Kernel 3.14? Totally Possible!

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The Linux kernel is an absolutely brilliant piece of development work. Every Linux-based operating system uses it as the central unit responsible for process execution, and it serves as the interface between the hardware abstraction layer and your running processes.

Android sits atop the Linux kernel, but the ARM version usually lags behind a release or two when compared to the version used in desktop operating systems like Ubuntu and Arch. It now appears as if this situation will change, as commits available in AOSP repository on Github suggest that Google engineers are working hard on bringing the 3.14 kernel to Android.

This is rather surprising, considering that 3.14 is still not yet officially released, and it is currently only available as a release candidate. It appears that the Android kernel will finally match the revision on kernel.org. This move will reduce the mismatch between releases, and when these newest features are added to the Android kernel. It’s more than likely that we will see the newest kernel in one of the upcoming Nexus devices, which could be released at this year’s Google I/O or even sooner.

There is still some time left until the next generation of Google Nexus devices see the light of day. In the meanwhile, you can study and review the code by visiting the Android kernel Github repository.

[Big thanks to XDA Recognized Developer and Contributor varun.chitre15 for the tip!]