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
这是 Linux 内核本身——任何 Linux 操作系统的核心。它负责管理硬件和系统资源，并提供所有其他软件赖以运行的基础服务。