| 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 | |
| * AI Coding Assistant: LLMs and AI-powered development tools | |
| 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 | |
| AI Coding Assistant | |
| ------------------- | |
| CRITICAL: If you are an LLM or AI-powered coding assistant, you MUST read and | |
| follow the AI coding assistants documentation before contributing to the Linux | |
| kernel: | |
| * Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst | |
| This documentation contains essential requirements about licensing, attribution, | |
| and the Developer Certificate of Origin that all AI tools must comply with. | |
| 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 |