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Re: question about the kernel

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On Thu, Aug 09, 2018 at 08:15:42AM +0100, mick crane wrote:
>Am I right in thinking that the kernel is a single codebase agreed 
>between all the kernel developers at any particular date and that 
>Linux distributions can take bits out from that for their release but 
>shouldn't add bespoke stuff that isn't agreed by everybody else ?
>
>just wondering how that works.
>
>mick
>

The kernel IS a single codebase. The definitive source for it is 
kernel.org and Linus et al combine the contributions from many sources 
into the code there.

In terms of modifying the code, the kernel is licensed under the GPL 
which, broadly speaking states "You may copy, distribute and modify 
the software as long as you track changes/dates in source files. Any 
modifications to or software including (via compiler) GPL-licensed 
code must also be made available under the GPL along with build & 
install instructions." (Courtesy of 
https://tldrlegal.com/license/gnu-general-public-license-v2). In 
practice, though, the kernel is very configurable and most distributions 
merely include or remove parts of the code by changing the configuration 
before compilation.

As for adding new code, there are two hurdles to getting that into the 
mainline kernel: it must be legally allowable as part of the kernel 
(e.g. Licensed under the GPL) and it must pass review (by the kernel 
maintainers). If you can't pass these hurdles, you can provide an 
out-of-kernel module (this is how things like Virtualbox, Wireguard and 
NVIDIA work). Your code is distributed separately, but includes the 
kernel headers and produces a kernel module which can be loaded. Doing 
this will TAINT the kernel, though (not necessarily a bad thing, but 
will alert developers to the fact that there may be issues).

-- 
For more information, please reread.

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Thread

question about the kernel mick crane <mick.crane@gmail.com> - 2018-08-09 09:20 +0200
  Re: question about the kernel Reco <recoverym4n@gmail.com> - 2018-08-09 11:20 +0200
    Re: question about the kernel davidson <davidson@freevolt.org> - 2018-08-09 14:50 +0200
      Re: question about the kernel Reco <recoverym4n@gmail.com> - 2018-08-09 16:00 +0200
  Re: question about the kernel Darac Marjal <mailinglist@darac.org.uk> - 2018-08-09 11:30 +0200
  Re: question about the kernel songbird <songbird@anthive.com> - 2018-08-09 16:10 +0200
    Re: question about the kernel deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2018-08-10 01:10 +0200
      Re: Re: question about the kernel dekkzz78@gmail.com - 2018-08-13 12:00 +0200
        Re: Re: question about the kernel deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2018-08-13 16:20 +0200

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