torvalds/linux ↗
Created Dec 23, 2020 · View the torvalds/linux repository page
Linux kernel source tree
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Contributors
22,853
Lines of Code
2,186,953
From
Apr 16, 2005
To
Dec 22, 2020
About torvalds/linux
The Linux kernel is the core component of Linux operating systems, managing hardware resources, system services, and providing fundamental functionality for all software running on the system. Written in C, it represents one of the largest and most actively maintained open-source projects in existence, with contributions from thousands of developers across the world.
The kernel source tree includes comprehensive documentation covering kernel development, architecture, and administration. It supports multiple user roles including new developers learning kernel programming, security experts analyzing hardening techniques, hardware vendors writing drivers, system administrators configuring kernel parameters, academic researchers studying internals, and distribution maintainers packaging kernels for different systems. The project provides extensive guidance on topics ranging from memory management and scheduling to networking, filesystems, power management, and device drivers.
The Linux kernel community operates through distributed development practices, with contributions submitted via mailing lists and managed through a subsystem-based maintenance structure. The project emphasizes code quality through established coding standards, a formal patch submission process, and comprehensive security procedures. Documentation includes detailed guides for building the kernel, submitting patches, maintaining stable versions, and debugging systems, alongside API references and architectural documentation for different kernel subsystems.
