How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Rogério Valentim Feitoza da Silva]

Hi, Kernelnewbies subscribers!

How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel, as a person who has
never contributed before? I have 3.5 years of experience in writing C
code, 2.5 years in GNU/Linux (command line and programming, mostly),
and 1 year in Git. But I've never written code for the Linux kernel,
other than a call to panic(). My laptop runs Windows 10 Home Single
Language, version 21H2, however I can run a hardware-accelerated
Debian GNU/Linux VM for Linux kernel development on it (dual boot is
not possible, due to hardware incompatibility, but I can easily set up
a GNU/Linux VM on Windows). I've already subscribed to the Linux
kernel mailing list (linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org), and I'm receiving
lots of e-mails from other people who subscribed to LKML, with most
containing patches for many Linux drivers and subsystems. Also, what
are some useful resources for learning about the Linux kernel and
Linux kernel development?

Kind regards,
Rogério Valentim

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Re: How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Sebastian Fricke]

Hey Rogério,

On 23.02.2022 17:24, Rogério Valentim Feitoza da Silva wrote:
>Hi, Kernelnewbies subscribers!
>
>How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel, as a person who has
>never contributed before?

Similar questions have already been asked quite a bit on this mailing
list, I would advise you to search through the archive for a while:
https://www.mail-archive.com/kernelnewbies%40kernelnewbies.org/maillist.html
With a few search terms you will find a lot of mail discussions about
this topic.

And also this reply by Valdis Klētnieks (9 days ago) for a similar
question:

"""
> I will be glad if someone can give me pointers for a good starting point to
> contribute.

Some guy wrote this a while back, and it's still mostly relevant.

https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/pipermail/kernelnewbies/2017-April/017765.html
"""


> I have 3.5 years of experience in writing C
>code, 2.5 years in GNU/Linux (command line and programming, mostly),
>and 1 year in Git. But I've never written code for the Linux kernel,
>other than a call to panic(). My laptop runs Windows 10 Home Single
>Language, version 21H2, however I can run a hardware-accelerated
>Debian GNU/Linux VM for Linux kernel development on it (dual boot is
>not possible, due to hardware incompatibility, but I can easily set up
>a GNU/Linux VM on Windows). I've already subscribed to the Linux
>kernel mailing list (linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org), and I'm receiving
>lots of e-mails from other people who subscribed to LKML,

That is a lot of mail, my advise would be find what interests you and
only subscribe to that mailing list or you could also take a look at:
https://people.kernel.org/monsieuricon/lore-lei-part-1-getting-started
Which is a new tool that is currently being developed which enables you
to only get mail that matches specific filters (for example every patch
that touches a specific file etc.).

> with most
>containing patches for many Linux drivers and subsystems. Also, what
>are some useful resources for learning about the Linux kernel and
>Linux kernel development?

The Kernel documentation, pretty much everything else is out of date
within a few months.

>
>Kind regards,
>Rogério Valentim

Greetings,
Sebastian
>
>_______________________________________________
>Kernelnewbies mailing list
>Kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org
>https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/mailman/listinfo/kernelnewbies

_______________________________________________
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Kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org
https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/mailman/listinfo/kernelnewbies

Re: How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Sebastian Fricke]

Hey Rogério,

On 23.02.2022 17:24, Rogério Valentim Feitoza da Silva wrote:
>Hi, Kernelnewbies subscribers!
>
>How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel, as a person who has
>never contributed before? 

Similar questions have already been asked quite a bit on this mailing
list, I would advise you to search through the archive for a while:
https://www.mail-archive.com/kernelnewbies%40kernelnewbies.org/maillist.html
With a few search terms you will find a lot of mail discussions about
this topic.

And also this reply by Valdis Klētnieks (9 days ago) for a similar
question:

"""
> I will be glad if someone can give me pointers for a good starting point to
> contribute.

Some guy wrote this a while back, and it's still mostly relevant.

https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/pipermail/kernelnewbies/2017-April/017765.html
"""

> I have 3.5 years of experience in writing C
>code, 2.5 years in GNU/Linux (command line and programming, mostly),
>and 1 year in Git. But I've never written code for the Linux kernel,
>other than a call to panic(). My laptop runs Windows 10 Home Single
>Language, version 21H2, however I can run a hardware-accelerated
>Debian GNU/Linux VM for Linux kernel development on it (dual boot is
>not possible, due to hardware incompatibility, but I can easily set up
>a GNU/Linux VM on Windows). I've already subscribed to the Linux
>kernel mailing list (linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org), and I'm receiving
>lots of e-mails from other people who subscribed to LKML, with most

That is a lot of mail, my advise would be find what interests you and
only subscribe to that mailing list or you could also take a look at:
https://people.kernel.org/monsieuricon/lore-lei-part-1-getting-started
Which is a new tool that is currently being developed which enables you
to only get mail that matches specific filters (for example every patch
that touches a specific file etc.).

>containing patches for many Linux drivers and subsystems. Also, what
>are some useful resources for learning about the Linux kernel and
>Linux kernel development?

The Kernel documentation is the most reliable source, pretty much everything
else is out of date within a short amount of time.
If you are looking for news look at:
- https://lwn.net/
- https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=home
- https://planet.kernel.org/

>
>Kind regards,
>Rogério Valentim

Greetings,
Sebastian
>
>_______________________________________________
>Kernelnewbies mailing list
>Kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org
>https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/mailman/listinfo/kernelnewbies

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https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/mailman/listinfo/kernelnewbies

Re: How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Valdis Klētnieks]

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On Wed, 23 Feb 2022 17:24:49 -0300, Rogério Valentim Feitoza da Silva said:

> How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel, as a person who has
> never contributed before?

First, figure out *why* you want to contribute.

https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/pipermail/kernelnewbies/2017-April/017765.html

> I've already subscribed to the Linux
> kernel mailing list (linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org), and I'm receiving
> lots of e-mails from other people who subscribed to LKML, with most
> containing patches for many Linux drivers and subsystems.

Congratulations.  Hope you enjoy the email fire hose - LKML so far this
month has been averaging some 1,153 mails a day - and that's *after*
filtering out all of Greg KH's for-stable-review patch bombs.

"Note that nobody reads every post in linux-kernel. In fact, nobody who expects
to have time left over to actually do any real kernel work will read even half.
Except Alan Cox, but he's actually not human, but about a thousand gnomes
working in under-ground caves in Swansea. None of the individual gnomes read 
all the postings either, they just work together really well." -- Linus Torvalds

Linus wrote that when LKML was running about 200 posts a dsay....

Most sane people only subscribe to the lists for the subsystems they 
are interested in, and/or get really good at using procmail or other
mail sorting/filtering software.



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Re: How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Ozgur Kara]

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Re: How do I start contributing to the Linux kernel?

[Ozgur Kara]

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