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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/HOWTO')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/HOWTO | 115 |
1 files changed, 37 insertions, 78 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/HOWTO b/Documentation/HOWTO index 8495fc970391..40ada93b820a 100644 --- a/Documentation/HOWTO +++ b/Documentation/HOWTO @@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ 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 - subsystem specific kernel trees and patches + - the 2.6.x -next kernel tree for integration tests 2.6.x kernel tree ----------------- @@ -232,9 +232,9 @@ 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 @@ -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/ or http://patchwork.ozlabs.org/. + +2.6.x -next kernel tree for integration tests +--------------------------------------------- +Before updates from subsystem trees are merged into the mainline 2.6.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/sfr/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 ------------- |