Kernel 3.17 Final has – finally – been released, and details are here:  http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1410.0/02818.html

As with the last -rc, the latest NVIDIA (340.46) and VMware (10.0.3 patched) drivers install and run OK..

$ uname -a
Linux rglinux-i7 3.17.0 #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Oct 5 18:02:39 PDT 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Robert Gadsdon.   October 5, 2014.