1 .. _development_conclusion: 1 .. _development_conclusion:
2 2
3 For more information 3 For more information
4 ==================== 4 ====================
5 5
6 There are numerous sources of information on L 6 There are numerous sources of information on Linux kernel development and
7 related topics. First among those will always 7 related topics. First among those will always be the Documentation
8 directory found in the kernel source distribut !! 8 directory found in the kernel source distribution. The top-level :ref:`process/howto.rst <process_howto>`
9 top-level :ref:`process/howto.rst <process_how !! 9 file is an important starting point; :ref:`process/submitting-patches.rst <submittingpatches>`
10 :ref:`process/submitting-patches.rst <submitti !! 10 and :ref:`process/submitting-drivers.rst <submittingdrivers>`
11 kernel APIs are documented using the kerneldoc !! 11 are also something which all kernel developers should
12 or "make pdfdocs" can be used to generate thos !! 12 read. Many internal kernel APIs are documented using the kerneldoc
13 format (though the version of TeX shipped by s !! 13 mechanism; "make htmldocs" or "make pdfdocs" can be used to generate those
14 internal limits and fails to process the docum !! 14 documents in HTML or PDF format (though the version of TeX shipped by some
>> 15 distributions runs into internal limits and fails to process the documents
>> 16 properly).
15 17
16 Various web sites discuss kernel development a 18 Various web sites discuss kernel development at all levels of detail. Your
17 author would like to humbly suggest https://lw 19 author would like to humbly suggest https://lwn.net/ as a source;
18 information on many specific kernel topics can 20 information on many specific kernel topics can be found via the LWN kernel
19 index at: 21 index at:
20 22
21 https://lwn.net/Kernel/Index/ 23 https://lwn.net/Kernel/Index/
22 24
23 Beyond that, a valuable resource for kernel de 25 Beyond that, a valuable resource for kernel developers is:
24 26
25 https://kernelnewbies.org/ 27 https://kernelnewbies.org/
26 28
27 And, of course, one should not forget https:// 29 And, of course, one should not forget https://kernel.org/, the definitive
28 location for kernel release information. 30 location for kernel release information.
29 31
30 There are a number of books on kernel developm 32 There are a number of books on kernel development:
31 33
32 Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition (Jon 34 Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition (Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro
33 Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman). Onli 35 Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman). Online at
34 https://lwn.net/Kernel/LDD3/. 36 https://lwn.net/Kernel/LDD3/.
35 37
36 Linux Kernel Development (Robert Love) 38 Linux Kernel Development (Robert Love).
37 39
38 Understanding the Linux Kernel (Daniel 40 Understanding the Linux Kernel (Daniel Bovet and Marco Cesati).
39 41
40 All of these books suffer from a common fault, 42 All of these books suffer from a common fault, though: they tend to be
41 somewhat obsolete by the time they hit the she 43 somewhat obsolete by the time they hit the shelves, and they have been on
42 the shelves for a while now. Still, there is 44 the shelves for a while now. Still, there is quite a bit of good
43 information to be found there. 45 information to be found there.
44 46
45 Documentation for git can be found at: 47 Documentation for git can be found at:
46 48
47 https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/sc 49 https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/
48 50
49 https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/sc 51 https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/user-manual.html
50 52
51 53
52 Conclusion 54 Conclusion
53 ========== 55 ==========
54 56
55 Congratulations to anybody who has made it thr 57 Congratulations to anybody who has made it through this long-winded
56 document. Hopefully it has provided a helpful 58 document. Hopefully it has provided a helpful understanding of how the
57 Linux kernel is developed and how you can part 59 Linux kernel is developed and how you can participate in that process.
58 60
59 In the end, it's the participation that matter 61 In the end, it's the participation that matters. Any open source software
60 project is no more than the sum of what its co 62 project is no more than the sum of what its contributors put into it. The
61 Linux kernel has progressed as quickly and as 63 Linux kernel has progressed as quickly and as well as it has because it has
62 been helped by an impressively large group of 64 been helped by an impressively large group of developers, all of whom are
63 working to make it better. The kernel is a pr 65 working to make it better. The kernel is a premier example of what can be
64 done when thousands of people work together to 66 done when thousands of people work together toward a common goal.
65 67
66 The kernel can always benefit from a larger de 68 The kernel can always benefit from a larger developer base, though. There
67 is always more work to do. But, just as impor 69 is always more work to do. But, just as importantly, most other
68 participants in the Linux ecosystem can benefi 70 participants in the Linux ecosystem can benefit through contributing to the
69 kernel. Getting code into the mainline is the 71 kernel. Getting code into the mainline is the key to higher code quality,
70 lower maintenance and distribution costs, a hi 72 lower maintenance and distribution costs, a higher level of influence over
71 the direction of kernel development, and more. 73 the direction of kernel development, and more. It is a situation where
72 everybody involved wins. Fire up your editor 74 everybody involved wins. Fire up your editor and come join us; you will be
73 more than welcome. 75 more than welcome.
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