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
This is the Linux kernel itself - the core of any Linux operating system. It manages hardware and system resources and provides the fundamental services all other software runs on.