19.2. Web Sites

In the fast-moving world of Linux kernel development, the most current information is often found online. The following is our selection of the best web sites as of this writing:

http://www.kernel.org

ftp://ftp.kernel.org

This site is the home of Linux kernel development. You'll find the latest kernel release and related information. Note that the FTP site is mirrored throughout the world, so you'll most likely find a mirror near you.

http://www.bkbits.net

This site hosts the source repositories used by a number of prominent kernel developers. In particular, the project called "linus" contains the mainline kernel as maintained by Linus Torvalds. If you are curious about the very latest patches which have been applied to the kernel, this is the place to look.

http://www.tldp.org

The Linux Documentation Project carries a lot of interesting documents called "HOWTOs"; some of them are pretty technical and cover kernel-related topics.

http://www.linux.it/kerneldocs

This page contains many kernel-oriented magazine articles written by Alessandro Rubini. Some of them date back a few years, but they usually still apply; some of them are in Italian, but usually an English translation is available as well.

http://lwn.net

At the risk of seeming self-serving, we point out this news site that, among other things, offers regular kernel development coverage and API change information.

http://www.kerneltraffic.org

Kernel Traffic is a popular site that provides weekly summaries of discussions on the Linux kernel development mailing list.

http://www.kerneltrap.org/

This site picks up occasional interesting developments in the Linux and BSD kernel communities.

http://www.kernelnewbies.org

This site is oriented toward new kernel developers. There is beginning information, a FAQ, and an associated IRC channel for those looking for immediate assistance.

http://janitor.kernelnewbies.org/

The Linux Kernel Janitor project is the place where new kernel programmers can learn how to join in the development effort. A wide range of small, generally simple tasks that need to be done all over the kernel are described here. There is a mailing list that helps new developers get these changes into the main kernel tree. This is a great place for anyone wanting to start doing Linux kernel development but not knowing where to begin.