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