The next step is to choose the kernel for your project, balancing the desire to always use the latest version of software against the need for vendor-specific additions and an interest in the long term support of the code base.
Choosing a kernel
Kernel development cycle
Linux is developed at a fast pace, with a new version being released every 8 to 12 weeks. The way that the version numbers are constructed has changed a bit in recent years. Before July 2011, there was a three number version scheme with version numbers that looked like 2.6.39. The middle number indicated whether it was a developer or stable release; odd numbers (2.1.x, 2.3.x, 2.5.x) were for developers and even numbers were for end users. From version 2.6 onwards...
