Linus Torvalds e4bf304f00 Merge tag 'trace-ringbuffer-v7.1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace
Pull ring-buffer updates from Steven Rostedt:

 - Add remote buffers for pKVM

   pKVM has a hypervisor component that is used to protect the guest
   from the host kernel. This hypervisor is a black box to the kernel as
   the kernel is to user space. The remote buffers are used to have a
   memory mapping between the hypervisor and the kernel where kernel may
   send commands to enable tracing within the hypervisor. Then the
   kernel will read this memory mapping just like user space can read
   the memory mapped ring buffer of the kernel tracing system.

   Since the hypervisor only has a single context, it doesn't need to
   worry about races between normal context, interrupt context and NMIs
   like the kernel does. The ring buffer it uses doesn't need to be as
   complex. The remote buffers are a simple version of the ring buffer
   that works in a single context. They are still per-CPU and use sub
   buffers. The data layout is the same as the kernel's ring buffer to
   share the same parsing.

   Currently, only ARM64 implements pKVM, but there's work to implement
   it also in x86. The remote buffer code is separated out from the ARM
   implementation so that it can be used in the future by x86.

   The ARM64 updates for pKVM is in the ARM/KVM tree and it merged in
   the remote buffers of this tree.

 - Make the backup instance non reusable

   The backup instance is a copy of the persistent ring buffer so that
   the persistent ring buffer could start recording again without using
   the data from the previous boot. The backup isn't for normal tracing.
   It is made read-only, and after it is consumed, it is automatically
   removed.

 - Have backup copy persistent instance before it starts recording

   To allow the persistent ring buffer to start recording from the
   kernel command line commands, move the copy of the backup instance to
   before the the command line options start recording.

 - Report header_page overwrite field as "char" and not "int'

   The rust parser of the header_page file was triggering a warning when
   it defined the overwrite variable as "int" but it was only a single
   byte in size.

 - Fix memory barriers for the trace_buffer CPU mask

   When a CPU comes online, the bit is set to allow readers to know that
   the CPU buffer is allocated. The bit is set after the allocation is
   done, and a smp_wmb() is performed after the allocation and before
   the setting of the bit. But instead of adding a smp_rmb() to all
   readers, since once a buffer is created for a CPU it is not deleted
   if that CPU goes offline, so this allocation is almost always done at
   boot up before any readers exist.

   If for the unlikely case where a CPU comes online for the first time
   after the system boot has finished, send an IPI to all CPUs to force
   the smp_rmb() for each CPU.

 - Show clock function being used in debugging ring buffer data

   When the ring buffer checks are enabled and the ring buffer detects
   an inconsistency in the times of the invents, print out the clock
   being used when the error occurred. There was a very hard to hit bug
   that would happen every so often and it ended up being only triggered
   when the jiffies clock was being used. If the bug showed the clock
   being used, it would have been much easier to find the problem (which
   was an internal function was being traced which caused the clock
   accounting to go off).

* tag 'trace-ringbuffer-v7.1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace: (26 commits)
  ring-buffer: Prevent off-by-one array access in ring_buffer_desc_page()
  ring-buffer: Report header_page overwrite as char
  tracing: Allow backup to save persistent ring buffer before it starts
  tracing/Documentation: Add a section about backup instance
  tracing: Remove the backup instance automatically after read
  tracing: Make the backup instance non-reusable
  ring-buffer: Enforce read ordering of trace_buffer cpumask and buffers
  ring-buffer: Show what clock function is used on timestamp errors
  tracing: Check for undefined symbols in simple_ring_buffer
  tracing: load/unload page callbacks for simple_ring_buffer
  Documentation: tracing: Add tracing remotes
  tracing: selftests: Add trace remote tests
  tracing: Add a trace remote module for testing
  tracing: Introduce simple_ring_buffer
  ring-buffer: Export buffer_data_page and macros
  tracing: Add helpers to create trace remote events
  tracing: Add events/ root files to trace remotes
  tracing: Add events to trace remotes
  tracing: Add init callback to trace remotes
  tracing: Add non-consuming read to trace remotes
  ...
2026-04-15 15:59:46 -07:00
2026-01-26 19:07:09 -08:00
2022-09-28 09:02:20 +02:00
2025-02-19 14:53:27 -07:00

Linux kernel
============

The Linux kernel is the core of any Linux operating system. It manages hardware,
system resources, and provides the fundamental services for all other software.

Quick Start
-----------

* Report a bug: See Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
* Get the latest kernel: https://kernel.org
* Build the kernel: See Documentation/admin-guide/quickly-build-trimmed-linux.rst
* Join the community: https://lore.kernel.org/

Essential Documentation
-----------------------

All users should be familiar with:

* Building requirements: Documentation/process/changes.rst
* Code of Conduct: Documentation/process/code-of-conduct.rst
* License: See COPYING

Documentation can be built with make htmldocs or viewed online at:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/


Who Are You?
============

Find your role below:

* New Kernel Developer - Getting started with kernel development
* Academic Researcher - Studying kernel internals and architecture
* Security Expert - Hardening and vulnerability analysis
* Backport/Maintenance Engineer - Maintaining stable kernels
* System Administrator - Configuring and troubleshooting
* Maintainer - Leading subsystems and reviewing patches
* Hardware Vendor - Writing drivers for new hardware
* Distribution Maintainer - Packaging kernels for distros
* AI Coding Assistant - LLMs and AI-powered development tools


For Specific Users
==================

New Kernel Developer
--------------------

Welcome! Start your kernel development journey here:

* Getting Started: Documentation/process/development-process.rst
* Your First Patch: Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
* Coding Style: Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
* Build System: Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
* Development Tools: Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
* Kernel Hacking Guide: Documentation/kernel-hacking/hacking.rst
* Core APIs: Documentation/core-api/index.rst

Academic Researcher
-------------------

Explore the kernel's architecture and internals:

* Researcher Guidelines: Documentation/process/researcher-guidelines.rst
* Memory Management: Documentation/mm/index.rst
* Scheduler: Documentation/scheduler/index.rst
* Networking Stack: Documentation/networking/index.rst
* Filesystems: Documentation/filesystems/index.rst
* RCU (Read-Copy Update): Documentation/RCU/index.rst
* Locking Primitives: Documentation/locking/index.rst
* Power Management: Documentation/power/index.rst

Security Expert
---------------

Security documentation and hardening guides:

* Security Documentation: Documentation/security/index.rst
* LSM Development: Documentation/security/lsm-development.rst
* Self Protection: Documentation/security/self-protection.rst
* Reporting Vulnerabilities: Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst
* CVE Procedures: Documentation/process/cve.rst
* Embargoed Hardware Issues: Documentation/process/embargoed-hardware-issues.rst
* Security Features: Documentation/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.rst

Backport/Maintenance Engineer
-----------------------------

Maintain and stabilize kernel versions:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* Backporting Guide: Documentation/process/backporting.rst
* Applying Patches: Documentation/process/applying-patches.rst
* Subsystem Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git for Maintainers: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

System Administrator
--------------------

Configure, tune, and troubleshoot Linux systems:

* Admin Guide: Documentation/admin-guide/index.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Sysctl Tuning: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/index.rst
* Tracing/Debugging: Documentation/trace/index.rst
* Performance Security: Documentation/admin-guide/perf-security.rst
* Hardware Monitoring: Documentation/hwmon/index.rst

Maintainer
----------

Lead kernel subsystems and manage contributions:

* Maintainer Handbook: Documentation/maintainer/index.rst
* Pull Requests: Documentation/maintainer/pull-requests.rst
* Managing Patches: Documentation/maintainer/modifying-patches.rst
* Rebasing and Merging: Documentation/maintainer/rebasing-and-merging.rst
* Development Process: Documentation/process/maintainer-handbooks.rst
* Maintainer Entry Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git Configuration: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

Hardware Vendor
---------------

Write drivers and support new hardware:

* Driver API Guide: Documentation/driver-api/index.rst
* Driver Model: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/driver.rst
* Device Drivers: Documentation/driver-api/infrastructure.rst
* Bus Types: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/bus.rst
* Device Tree Bindings: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/
* Power Management: Documentation/driver-api/pm/index.rst
* DMA API: Documentation/core-api/dma-api.rst

Distribution Maintainer
-----------------------

Package and distribute the kernel:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* ABI Documentation: Documentation/ABI/README
* Kernel Configuration: Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
* Module Signing: Documentation/admin-guide/module-signing.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Tainted Kernels: Documentation/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.rst

AI Coding Assistant
-------------------

CRITICAL: If you are an LLM or AI-powered coding assistant, you MUST read and
follow the AI coding assistants documentation before contributing to the Linux
kernel:

* Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst

This documentation contains essential requirements about licensing, attribution,
and the Developer Certificate of Origin that all AI tools must comply with.


Communication and Support
=========================

* Mailing Lists: https://lore.kernel.org/
* IRC: #kernelnewbies on irc.oftc.net
* Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/
* MAINTAINERS file: Lists subsystem maintainers and mailing lists
* Email Clients: Documentation/process/email-clients.rst
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