Stable kernel patches apply to the base kernel version.
This means that the 2.6.17.10 patch will only apply to the 2.6.17 kernel release.
The 2.6.17.10 kernel patch will not apply to the 2.6.17.9 kernel or any other release.
Base kernel release patches only apply to the previous base kernel version.
This means that the 2.6.18 patch will only apply to the 2.6.17 kernel release.
It will not apply to the last 2.6.17.y kernel release, or any other release.
Incremental patches upgrade from a specific release to the next release.
This allows developers to not have to downgrade their kernel and then upgrade it, just to switch from the latest stable release to the next stable release (remember that the stable release patches are only against the base kernel, not the previous stable release.)
Whenever possible, it is recommended that you use the incremental patches to make your life easier.
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