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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/HOWTO')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/HOWTO | 153 |
1 files changed, 56 insertions, 97 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/HOWTO b/Documentation/HOWTO index 8495fc97039..57cf5efb044 100644 --- a/Documentation/HOWTO +++ b/Documentation/HOWTO @@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ required reading: Other excellent descriptions of how to create patches properly are: "The Perfect Patch" - http://userweb.kernel.org/~akpm/stuff/tpp.txt + http://www.ozlabs.org/~akpm/stuff/tpp.txt "Linux kernel patch submission format" http://linux.yyz.us/patch-format.html @@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ apply a patch. If you do not know where you want to start, but you want to look for some task to start doing to join into the kernel development community, go to the Linux Kernel Janitor's project: - http://janitor.kernelnewbies.org/ + http://kernelnewbies.org/KernelJanitors It is a great place to start. It describes a list of relatively simple problems that need to be cleaned up and fixed within the Linux kernel source tree. Working with the developers in charge of this project, you @@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ tools. One such tool that is particularly recommended is the Linux Cross-Reference project, which is able to present source code in a self-referential, indexed webpage format. An excellent up-to-date repository of the kernel code may be found at: - http://users.sosdg.org/~qiyong/lxr/ + http://lxr.linux.no/+trees The development process @@ -218,23 +218,23 @@ The development process Linux kernel development process currently consists of a few different main kernel "branches" and lots of different subsystem-specific kernel branches. These different branches are: - - main 2.6.x kernel tree - - 2.6.x.y -stable kernel tree - - 2.6.x -git kernel patches - - 2.6.x -mm kernel patches + - main 3.x kernel tree + - 3.x.y -stable kernel tree + - 3.x -git kernel patches - subsystem specific kernel trees and patches + - the 3.x -next kernel tree for integration tests -2.6.x kernel tree +3.x kernel tree ----------------- -2.6.x kernels are maintained by Linus Torvalds, and can be found on -kernel.org in the pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ directory. Its development +3.x kernels are maintained by Linus Torvalds, and can be found on +kernel.org in the pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ directory. Its development process is as follows: - As soon as a new kernel is released a two weeks window is open, during this period of time maintainers can submit big diffs to Linus, usually the patches that have already been included in the - -mm kernel for a few weeks. The preferred way to submit big changes + -next kernel for a few weeks. The preferred way to submit big changes is using git (the kernel's source management tool, more information - can be found at http://git.or.cz/) but plain patches are also just + can be found at http://git-scm.com/) but plain patches are also just fine. - After two weeks a -rc1 kernel is released it is now possible to push only patches that do not include new features that could affect the @@ -262,21 +262,21 @@ mailing list about kernel releases: released according to perceived bug status, not according to a preconceived timeline." -2.6.x.y -stable kernel tree +3.x.y -stable kernel tree --------------------------- -Kernels with 4-part versions are -stable kernels. They contain +Kernels with 3-part versions are -stable kernels. They contain relatively small and critical fixes for security problems or significant -regressions discovered in a given 2.6.x kernel. +regressions discovered in a given 3.x kernel. This is the recommended branch for users who want the most recent stable kernel and are not interested in helping test development/experimental versions. -If no 2.6.x.y kernel is available, then the highest numbered 2.6.x +If no 3.x.y kernel is available, then the highest numbered 3.x kernel is the current stable kernel. -2.6.x.y are maintained by the "stable" team <stable@kernel.org>, and are -released as needs dictate. The normal release period is approximately +3.x.y are maintained by the "stable" team <stable@vger.kernel.org>, and +are released as needs dictate. The normal release period is approximately two weeks, but it can be longer if there are no pressing problems. A security-related problem, instead, can cause a release to happen almost instantly. @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ The file Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt in the kernel tree documents what kinds of changes are acceptable for the -stable tree, and how the release process works. -2.6.x -git patches +3.x -git patches ------------------ These are daily snapshots of Linus' kernel tree which are managed in a git repository (hence the name.) These patches are usually released @@ -293,84 +293,43 @@ daily and represent the current state of Linus' tree. They are more experimental than -rc kernels since they are generated automatically without even a cursory glance to see if they are sane. -2.6.x -mm kernel patches ------------------------- -These are experimental kernel patches released by Andrew Morton. Andrew -takes all of the different subsystem kernel trees and patches and mushes -them together, along with a lot of patches that have been plucked from -the linux-kernel mailing list. This tree serves as a proving ground for -new features and patches. Once a patch has proved its worth in -mm for -a while Andrew or the subsystem maintainer pushes it on to Linus for -inclusion in mainline. - -It is heavily encouraged that all new patches get tested in the -mm tree -before they are sent to Linus for inclusion in the main kernel tree. Code -which does not make an appearance in -mm before the opening of the merge -window will prove hard to merge into the mainline. - -These kernels are not appropriate for use on systems that are supposed -to be stable and they are more risky to run than any of the other -branches. - -If you wish to help out with the kernel development process, please test -and use these kernel releases and provide feedback to the linux-kernel -mailing list if you have any problems, and if everything works properly. - -In addition to all the other experimental patches, these kernels usually -also contain any changes in the mainline -git kernels available at the -time of release. - -The -mm kernels are not released on a fixed schedule, but usually a few --mm kernels are released in between each -rc kernel (1 to 3 is common). - Subsystem Specific kernel trees and patches ------------------------------------------- -A number of the different kernel subsystem developers expose their -development trees so that others can see what is happening in the -different areas of the kernel. These trees are pulled into the -mm -kernel releases as described above. - -Here is a list of some of the different kernel trees available: - git trees: - - Kbuild development tree, Sam Ravnborg <sam@ravnborg.org> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/sam/kbuild.git - - - ACPI development tree, Len Brown <len.brown@intel.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/lenb/linux-acpi-2.6.git - - - Block development tree, Jens Axboe <jens.axboe@oracle.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/axboe/linux-2.6-block.git - - - DRM development tree, Dave Airlie <airlied@linux.ie> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/airlied/drm-2.6.git - - - ia64 development tree, Tony Luck <tony.luck@intel.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/aegl/linux-2.6.git - - - infiniband, Roland Dreier <rolandd@cisco.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/roland/infiniband.git - - - libata, Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jgarzik/libata-dev.git - - - network drivers, Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jgarzik/netdev-2.6.git - - - pcmcia, Dominik Brodowski <linux@dominikbrodowski.net> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/brodo/pcmcia-2.6.git - - - SCSI, James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@hansenpartnership.com> - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jejb/scsi-misc-2.6.git - - - x86, Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu> - git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/x86/linux-2.6-x86.git - - quilt trees: - - USB, Driver Core, and I2C, Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@suse.de> - kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/gregkh/gregkh-2.6/ +The maintainers of the various kernel subsystems --- and also many +kernel subsystem developers --- expose their current state of +development in source repositories. That way, others can see what is +happening in the different areas of the kernel. In areas where +development is rapid, a developer may be asked to base his submissions +onto such a subsystem kernel tree so that conflicts between the +submission and other already ongoing work are avoided. + +Most of these repositories are git trees, but there are also other SCMs +in use, or patch queues being published as quilt series. Addresses of +these subsystem repositories are listed in the MAINTAINERS file. Many +of them can be browsed at http://git.kernel.org/. + +Before a proposed patch is committed to such a subsystem tree, it is +subject to review which primarily happens on mailing lists (see the +respective section below). For several kernel subsystems, this review +process is tracked with the tool patchwork. Patchwork offers a web +interface which shows patch postings, any comments on a patch or +revisions to it, and maintainers can mark patches as under review, +accepted, or rejected. Most of these patchwork sites are listed at +http://patchwork.kernel.org/. + +3.x -next kernel tree for integration tests +--------------------------------------------- +Before updates from subsystem trees are merged into the mainline 3.x +tree, they need to be integration-tested. For this purpose, a special +testing repository exists into which virtually all subsystem trees are +pulled on an almost daily basis: + http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/next/linux-next.git + http://linux.f-seidel.de/linux-next/pmwiki/ + +This way, the -next kernel gives a summary outlook onto what will be +expected to go into the mainline kernel at the next merge period. +Adventurous testers are very welcome to runtime-test the -next kernel. - Other kernel trees can be found listed at http://git.kernel.org/ and in - the MAINTAINERS file. Bug Reporting ------------- @@ -503,7 +462,7 @@ Differences between the kernel community and corporate structures The kernel community works differently than most traditional corporate development environments. Here are a list of things that you can try to -do to try to avoid problems: +do to avoid problems: Good things to say regarding your proposed changes: - "This solves multiple problems." - "This deletes 2000 lines of code." @@ -620,7 +579,7 @@ all time. It should describe the patch completely, containing: For more details on what this should all look like, please see the ChangeLog section of the document: "The Perfect Patch" - http://userweb.kernel.org/~akpm/stuff/tpp.txt + http://www.ozlabs.org/~akpm/stuff/tpp.txt @@ -636,7 +595,7 @@ start exactly where you are now. ---------- Thanks to Paolo Ciarrocchi who allowed the "Development Process" -(http://linux.tar.bz/articles/2.6-development_process) section +(http://lwn.net/Articles/94386/) section to be based on text he had written, and to Randy Dunlap and Gerrit Huizenga for some of the list of things you should and should not say. Also thanks to Pat Mochel, Hanna Linder, Randy Dunlap, Kay Sievers, |