GitHub - torvalds/linux: Linux kernel source tree (original) (raw)

Linux kernel

The Linux kernel is the core of any Linux operating system. It manages hardware, system resources, and provides the fundamental services for all other software.

Quick Start

• Report a bug: See Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
• Get the latest kernel: https://kernel.org
• Build the kernel: See Documentation/admin-guide/quickly-build-trimmed-linux.rst
• Join the community: https://lore.kernel.org/

Essential Documentation

All users should be familiar with:

• Building requirements: Documentation/process/changes.rst
• Code of Conduct: Documentation/process/code-of-conduct.rst
• License: See COPYING

Documentation can be built with make htmldocs or viewed online at: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/

Who Are You?

Find your role below:

• New Kernel Developer - Getting started with kernel development
• Academic Researcher - Studying kernel internals and architecture
• Security Expert - Hardening and vulnerability analysis
• Backport/Maintenance Engineer - Maintaining stable kernels
• System Administrator - Configuring and troubleshooting
• Maintainer - Leading subsystems and reviewing patches
• Hardware Vendor - Writing drivers for new hardware
• Distribution Maintainer - Packaging kernels for distros

For Specific Users

New Kernel Developer

Welcome! Start your kernel development journey here:

• Getting Started: Documentation/process/development-process.rst
• Your First Patch: Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
• Coding Style: Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
• Build System: Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
• Development Tools: Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
• Kernel Hacking Guide: Documentation/kernel-hacking/hacking.rst
• Core APIs: Documentation/core-api/index.rst

Academic Researcher

Explore the kernel's architecture and internals:

• Researcher Guidelines: Documentation/process/researcher-guidelines.rst
• Memory Management: Documentation/mm/index.rst
• Scheduler: Documentation/scheduler/index.rst
• Networking Stack: Documentation/networking/index.rst
• Filesystems: Documentation/filesystems/index.rst
• RCU (Read-Copy Update): Documentation/RCU/index.rst
• Locking Primitives: Documentation/locking/index.rst
• Power Management: Documentation/power/index.rst

Security Expert

Security documentation and hardening guides:

• Security Documentation: Documentation/security/index.rst
• LSM Development: Documentation/security/lsm-development.rst
• Self Protection: Documentation/security/self-protection.rst
• Reporting Vulnerabilities: Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst
• CVE Procedures: Documentation/process/cve.rst
• Embargoed Hardware Issues: Documentation/process/embargoed-hardware-issues.rst
• Security Features: Documentation/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.rst

Backport/Maintenance Engineer

Maintain and stabilize kernel versions:

• Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
• Backporting Guide: Documentation/process/backporting.rst
• Applying Patches: Documentation/process/applying-patches.rst
• Subsystem Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
• Git for Maintainers: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

System Administrator

Configure, tune, and troubleshoot Linux systems:

• Admin Guide: Documentation/admin-guide/index.rst
• Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
• Sysctl Tuning: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/index.rst
• Tracing/Debugging: Documentation/trace/index.rst
• Performance Security: Documentation/admin-guide/perf-security.rst
• Hardware Monitoring: Documentation/hwmon/index.rst

Maintainer

Lead kernel subsystems and manage contributions:

• Maintainer Handbook: Documentation/maintainer/index.rst
• Pull Requests: Documentation/maintainer/pull-requests.rst
• Managing Patches: Documentation/maintainer/modifying-patches.rst
• Rebasing and Merging: Documentation/maintainer/rebasing-and-merging.rst
• Development Process: Documentation/process/maintainer-handbooks.rst
• Maintainer Entry Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
• Git Configuration: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

Hardware Vendor

Write drivers and support new hardware:

• Driver API Guide: Documentation/driver-api/index.rst
• Driver Model: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/driver.rst
• Device Drivers: Documentation/driver-api/infrastructure.rst
• Bus Types: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/bus.rst
• Device Tree Bindings: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/
• Power Management: Documentation/driver-api/pm/index.rst
• DMA API: Documentation/core-api/dma-api.rst

Distribution Maintainer

Package and distribute the kernel:

• Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
• ABI Documentation: Documentation/ABI/README
• Kernel Configuration: Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
• Module Signing: Documentation/admin-guide/module-signing.rst
• Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
• Tainted Kernels: Documentation/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.rst

Communication and Support

• Mailing Lists: https://lore.kernel.org/
• IRC: #kernelnewbies on irc.oftc.net
• Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/
• MAINTAINERS file: Lists subsystem maintainers and mailing lists
• Email Clients: Documentation/process/email-clients.rst