Linux kernel development

Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 11/15/05, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com> wrote:
[...]
> >       http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process
>
> Ah, a very nice summary.
>
> Paolo, can I use this document as a base for this section in the HOWTO
> file (with proper attribution of course.)
>

That article is now living in a git tree, it now contains only spell
checks but I plan to work more on it in the next few days.

The follwoing is the git URI:
git://git.infradead.org/users/paolo/LinuxKernelDevelopmentProcess.git

gitweb interface here:
http://git.infradead.org/?p=users/paolo/LinuxKernelDevelopmentProcess.git;a=summary

Patched and comments are more then welcome ;-)

Ciao,

-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Horst von Brand]

Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 11/15/05, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com> wrote:
> [...]
> > >       http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process
> >
> > Ah, a very nice summary.
> >
> > Paolo, can I use this document as a base for this section in the HOWTO
> > file (with proper attribution of course.)
> 
> That article is now living in a git tree, it now contains only spell
> checks but I plan to work more on it in the next few days.

I'd break it up into logical pieces (i.e., chapters...)

The lines are way too long for easy reading.

There are several other tools to check kernel quality: sparse, the
lockcheck, ... And don't forget about the various debugging config options

There are required tools for serious kernel development, i.e. git and its
entournage. Link to them.

You mention that patches cook in -mm for a while, but you don't tell what
that is beforehand. In general, a high-level overview of the current
git-based development would be useful, and the various important git kernel
trees and the patch flow among them.

Don't be shy in mentioning the stuff under Documentation in your nearest
kernel source!

Perhaps do an asccidoc format, to be able to create HTML?
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile                Fax:  +56 32 797513

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 11/15/05, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com> wrote:
> > [...]
> > > >       http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process
> > >
> > > Ah, a very nice summary.
> > >
> > > Paolo, can I use this document as a base for this section in the HOWTO
> > > file (with proper attribution of course.)
> >
> > That article is now living in a git tree, it now contains only spell
> > checks but I plan to work more on it in the next few days.
>
> I'd break it up into logical pieces (i.e., chapters...)

Yup, already in my todo list.

> The lines are way too long for easy reading.

Ok, I'll try to work on it.

> There are several other tools to check kernel quality: sparse, the
> lockcheck, ... And don't forget about the various debugging config options

Mmmh... Right, but the goal of the document was mainly to document the
process not the tools. However, that's a good comment.

> There are required tools for serious kernel development, i.e. git and its
> entournage. Link to them.

Ok.

> You mention that patches cook in -mm for a while, but you don't tell what
> that is beforehand. In general, a high-level overview of the current
> git-based development would be useful, and the various important git kernel
> trees and the patch flow among them.

Ok.

> Don't be shy in mentioning the stuff under Documentation in your nearest
> kernel source!

Right.

> Perhaps do an asccidoc format, to be able to create HTML?

Sure, but I don't know how to do it.

Patches are more then welcome :-)

Thank you for your valuable comments!!

Ciao,
-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/4/06, Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
[...]
>
> Thank you for your valuable comments!!

BTW, I implemented a few changes according to your feedbacks.
Committed and pushed out.

Ciao,

-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Horst von Brand]

Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/4/06, Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> [...]
> >
> > Thank you for your valuable comments!!
> 
> BTW, I implemented a few changes according to your feedbacks.
> Committed and pushed out.

Thanks!

Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
(and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).

[Yup, tangle it up in red tape even before it gets off the ground ;-]
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile                Fax:  +56 32 797513

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/5/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 6/4/06, Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> > [...]
> > >
> > > Thank you for your valuable comments!!
> >
> > BTW, I implemented a few changes according to your feedbacks.
> > Committed and pushed out.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
> (and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
> project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
> Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).

Not and exepert in this area, I think I'll release it under GPL2.

What's the normal approach? Can I just add:
#		This document is distribuited under
#		GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
#		       Version 2, June 1991
#               http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt

To the text?

> [Yup, tangle it up in red tape even before it gets off the ground ;-]
> --
> Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
> Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
> Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
> Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile                Fax:  +56 32 797513
>


-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Steven Rostedt]

On Mon, 2006-06-05 at 13:39 +0200, Paolo Ciarrocchi wrote:

> > Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
> > (and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
> > project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
> > Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).
> 
> Not and exepert in this area, I think I'll release it under GPL2.
> 
> What's the normal approach? Can I just add:
> #		This document is distribuited under
> #		GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
> #		       Version 2, June 1991
> #               http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
> 
> To the text?
> 
> > [Yup, tangle it up in red tape even before it gets off the ground ;-]
> >

I released by writeup about the rt-mutex-design.txt (currently in -mm
under Documentation) under the "GNU Free Documentation License, Version
1.2".

If you want to read the license it is here:

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html

-- Steve

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/5/06, Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org> wrote:
> On Mon, 2006-06-05 at 13:39 +0200, Paolo Ciarrocchi wrote:
>
> > > Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
> > > (and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
> > > project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
> > > Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).
> >
> > Not and exepert in this area, I think I'll release it under GPL2.
> >
> > What's the normal approach? Can I just add:
> > #             This document is distribuited under
> > #             GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
> > #                    Version 2, June 1991
> > #               http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
> >
> > To the text?
> >
> > > [Yup, tangle it up in red tape even before it gets off the ground ;-]
> > >
>
> I released by writeup about the rt-mutex-design.txt (currently in -mm
> under Documentation) under the "GNU Free Documentation License, Version
> 1.2".
>
> If you want to read the license it is here:
>
> http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html

Thanks Steven,
but a little part of the document is from inkernel documentation (and
vice versa, /Documentation/HOWTO includes part of this document) so I
stick with GPLv2.

I just pushed out the changes.

Ciao,
-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Horst von Brand]

Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/5/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:

[...]

> > Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
> > (and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
> > project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
> > Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).
> 
> Not and exepert in this area, I think I'll release it under GPL2.

Did you write all (most) of it? If not, you'd have to ask the original
author(s).

BTW, thinking it over in the shower today, if/when this is translated into
asciidoc(1) (or whatever), a "source code" license (like GPLv2) would be
appropiate IMHO. Besides, using the same license as what it describes is
sensible.

> What's the normal approach? Can I just add:
> #		This document is distribuited under
> #		GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
> #		       Version 2, June 1991
> #               http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
> 
> To the text?

The license text spells it out ;-)

I would add language to that effect to the README file, and bundle the
standard COPYING file with the package
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile                Fax:  +56 32 797513

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/5/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 6/5/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> > > Could you add a README (including contact info, etc), and perhaps a TODO
> > > (and a copy of SubmittingPatches, which I assume applies here too?) to the
> > > project? A license for the text is required, AFAIU (GPLv2, or one of the
> > > Creative Commons licenses perhaps?).
> >
> > Not and exepert in this area, I think I'll release it under GPL2.
>
> Did you write all (most) of it? If not, you'd have to ask the original
> author(s).
>
> BTW, thinking it over in the shower today, if/when this is translated into
> asciidoc(1) (or whatever), a "source code" license (like GPLv2) would be
> appropiate IMHO. Besides, using the same license as what it describes is
> sensible.
>
> > What's the normal approach? Can I just add:
> > #             This document is distribuited under
> > #             GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
> > #                    Version 2, June 1991
> > #               http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
> >
> > To the text?
>
> The license text spells it out ;-)
>
> I would add language to that effect to the README file, and bundle the
> standard COPYING file with the package

Modified and pushed out, since part of the document is from inkernel
documentation I choose GPL v2.

Thanks!

-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
[...]
> Perhaps do an asccidoc format, to be able to create HTML?

Just pushed out a first html version done via asciidoc.

Ciao,
-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Re: Linux kernel development

[Horst von Brand]

Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/3/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> > Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> [...]
> > Perhaps do an asccidoc format, to be able to create HTML?

> Just pushed out a first html version done via asciidoc.

Awesome.

But don't push out generated files, better add a Makefile to (re)generate
them.
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile                Fax:  +56 32 797513

Re: Linux kernel development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 6/7/06, Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
 > But don't push out generated files, better add a Makefile to (re)generate
> them.

Just did :-)

Changes in the last 3 days:
Paolo Ciarrocchi:
      Added GPLv2 as the licence of this document
      Add an header with GPLv2 information
      First take at making the document asciidoc friendly
      Added a html version from asciidoc
      Further asciidoc changes
      Further asciidoc changes
      Added a newline
      Added a Makefile
      Removed the .html file, for building it just type:
      fixed a small cosmetic issue
      Added support of links in the hmtl file

So now you can simply type:
$make html
to generate the html version
$make clean
to delete it

Ciao,
-- 
Paolo
http://paolociarrocchi.googlepages.com

Linux Kernel Development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

Hi all,
I'm the author of the document "Introduction to Linux Kernel
Development Process" hosted at
http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process.
Part of the document has been included in Documentation/HOWTO

I was reading  both the documents while I started, again, to think
about how to improve the quality of the vanilla kernels.

Here are a few line of the document I wrote:

---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---
 --- 2.6.x kernels ---

2.6.x kernels are maintained by Linus Torvalds,
it's development is as follow:
- As soon a new kernel is released a two weeks windows is open, during
  this period of time maintainers can submit big diffs to Linus, usually
  the patched sited in -mm kernels for a few weeks.
  Preferred way to submit big changes is using GIT
  (more information about GIT at http://git.or.cz/ and
  http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/tutorial.html).
- After two weeks a -rc1 kernel is released and now is possible to
  push only patches that do not include new functionalities that could
  affect the stability of the whole kernel. Please note that a whole
  new driver (or filesystem) might be accepted
  after -rc1 because there is no risk of causing regressions with
  such a change
- A new -rc is released whenever Linus deems the current git
 (the kernel's source management) tree to be in a reasonably sane state
  adequate for testing. The goal is to release a new -rc kernel every week.
- Process continues until the kernel is considered "ready", the
  process should last around 6 weeks ( 6 kernels per year should be
  released) an usually includes 4/5 rc releases.
---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---

The sentence "Process continues until the kernel is considered "ready"
" should probably be changed in order to reflect the usage of the
"regression list" that Adrian and then Michal were used to maintain.

Is there a "stable" place were users can read/comment/modify the list?
Wasn't Google interested in employee a person to take care of
regression/bug report? (Yes, if there is an open position I would be
interested in applying ;-).

Thanks!

Regards,
-- 
Paolo

Re: Linux Kernel Development

[Michal Piotrowski]

Hi Paolo,

On 16/07/07, Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I'm the author of the document "Introduction to Linux Kernel
> Development Process" hosted at
> http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process.
> Part of the document has been included in Documentation/HOWTO
>
> I was reading  both the documents while I started, again, to think
> about how to improve the quality of the vanilla kernels.
>
> Here are a few line of the document I wrote:
>
> ---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---
>  --- 2.6.x kernels ---
>
> 2.6.x kernels are maintained by Linus Torvalds,
> it's development is as follow:
> - As soon a new kernel is released a two weeks windows is open, during
>   this period of time maintainers can submit big diffs to Linus, usually
>   the patched sited in -mm kernels for a few weeks.
>   Preferred way to submit big changes is using GIT
>   (more information about GIT at http://git.or.cz/ and
>   http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/tutorial.html).
> - After two weeks a -rc1 kernel is released and now is possible to
>   push only patches that do not include new functionalities that could
>   affect the stability of the whole kernel. Please note that a whole
>   new driver (or filesystem) might be accepted
>   after -rc1 because there is no risk of causing regressions with
>   such a change
> - A new -rc is released whenever Linus deems the current git
>  (the kernel's source management) tree to be in a reasonably sane state
>   adequate for testing. The goal is to release a new -rc kernel every week.
> - Process continues until the kernel is considered "ready", the
>   process should last around 6 weeks ( 6 kernels per year should be
>   released) an usually includes 4/5 rc releases.
> ---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---
>
> The sentence "Process continues until the kernel is considered "ready"
> " should probably be changed in order to reflect the usage of the
> "regression list" that Adrian and then Michal were used to maintain.
>
> Is there a "stable" place were users can read/comment/modify the list?

This address should be widely known ;)
http://kernelnewbies.org/known_regressions

> Wasn't Google interested in employee a person to take care of
> regression/bug report? (Yes, if there is an open position I would be
> interested in applying ;-).
>
> Thanks!
>
> Regards,
> --
> Paolo

Regards,
Michal

-- 
LOG
http://www.stardust.webpages.pl/log/

Re: Linux Kernel Development

[Paolo Ciarrocchi]

On 7/16/07, Michal Piotrowski <michal.k.k.piotrowski@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Paolo,

Hi Michal,

> On 16/07/07, Paolo Ciarrocchi <paolo.ciarrocchi@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I'm the author of the document "Introduction to Linux Kernel
> > Development Process" hosted at
> > http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process.
> > Part of the document has been included in Documentation/HOWTO
[...]
> > The sentence "Process continues until the kernel is considered "ready"
> > " should probably be changed in order to reflect the usage of the
> > "regression list" that Adrian and then Michal were used to maintain.
> >
> > Is there a "stable" place were users can read/comment/modify the list?
>
> This address should be widely known ;)
> http://kernelnewbies.org/known_regressions

Yeah, thanks! I was under the (wrong) impression that the link was not "static".

Regards,
-- 
Paolo
"Tutto cio' che merita di essere fatto,merita di essere fatto bene"
Philip Stanhope IV conte di Chesterfield

linux kernel development

[Niloofar Fazlollahi]

Hi,

I have a generic question and appreciate your kind response.

What is the process and requirements for getting the linux kernel community

approval to commit a code into linux kernel (related to networking - TCP).

Regards

Niloofar F

Re: linux kernel development

[Américo Wang]

On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 12:51 PM, Niloofar Fazlollahi
<nfazlollahi@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a generic question and appreciate your kind response.
>
> What is the process and requirements for getting the linux kernel community
>
> approval to commit a code into linux kernel (related to networking - TCP).


Hello,

Please read the documents in Documentation/development-process/ directory
of the kernel source code.

Thanks.