.. _submitchecklist: =======================================Linux Kernel patch submission checklist======================================= Here are some basic things that developers should do if they want to see theirkernel patch submissions accepted more quickly. These are all above and beyond the documentation that is provided in:ref:`Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst <submittingpatches>`and elsewhere regarding submitting Linux kernel patches. Review your code================ 1) If you use a facility then #include the file that defines/declares   that facility.  Don't depend on other header files pulling in ones   that you use. 2) Check your patch for general style as detailed in   :ref:`Documentation/process/coding-style.rst <codingstyle>`. 3) All memory barriers {e.g., ``barrier()``, ``rmb()``, ``wmb()``} need a   comment in the source code that explains the logic of what they are doing   and why. Review Kconfig changes====================== 1) Any new or modified ``CONFIG`` options do not muck up the config menu and   default to off unless they meet the exception criteria documented in   ``Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst`` Menu attributes: default value. 2) All new ``Kconfig`` options have help text. 3) Has been carefully reviewed with respect to relevant ``Kconfig``   combinations.  This is very hard to get right with testing---brainpower   pays off here. Provide documentation===================== 1) Include :ref:`kernel-doc <kernel_doc>` to document global kernel APIs.   (Not required for static functions, but OK there also.) 2) All new ``/proc`` entries are documented under ``Documentation/`` 3) All new kernel boot parameters are documented in   ``Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst``. 4) All new module parameters are documented with ``MODULE_PARM_DESC()`` 5) All new userspace interfaces are documented in ``Documentation/ABI/``.   See Documentation/admin-guide/abi.rst (or ``Documentation/ABI/README``)   for more information.   Patches that change userspace interfaces should be CCed to   linux-api@vger.kernel.org. 6) If any ioctl's are added by the patch, then also update   ``Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst``. Check your code with tools========================== 1) Check for trivial violations with the patch style checker prior to   submission (``scripts/checkpatch.pl``).   You should be able to justify all violations that remain in   your patch. 2) Check cleanly with sparse. 3) Use ``make checkstack`` and fix any problems that it finds.   Note that ``checkstack`` does not point out problems explicitly,   but any one function that uses more than 512 bytes on the stack is a   candidate for change. Build your code=============== 1) Builds cleanly:   a) with applicable or modified ``CONFIG`` options ``=y``, ``=m``, and     ``=n``.  No ``gcc`` warnings/errors, no linker warnings/errors.   b) Passes ``allnoconfig``, ``allmodconfig``   c) Builds successfully when using ``O=builddir``   d) Any Documentation/ changes build successfully without new warnings/errors.     Use ``make htmldocs`` or ``make pdfdocs`` to check the build and     fix any issues. 2) Builds on multiple CPU architectures by using local cross-compile tools   or some other build farm.   Note that testing against architectures of different word sizes   (32- and 64-bit) and different endianness (big- and little-) is effective   in catching various portability issues due to false assumptions on   representable quantity range, data alignment, or endianness, among   others. 3) Newly-added code has been compiled with ``gcc -W`` (use   ``make KCFLAGS=-W``).  This will generate lots of noise, but is good   for finding bugs like "warning: comparison between signed and unsigned". 4) If your modified source code depends on or uses any of the kernel   APIs or features that are related to the following ``Kconfig`` symbols,   then test multiple builds with the related ``Kconfig`` symbols disabled   and/or ``=m`` (if that option is available) [not all of these at the   same time, just various/random combinations of them]:    ``CONFIG_SMP``, ``CONFIG_SYSFS``, ``CONFIG_PROC_FS``, ``CONFIG_INPUT``,   ``CONFIG_PCI``, ``CONFIG_BLOCK``, ``CONFIG_PM``, ``CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ``,   ``CONFIG_NET``, ``CONFIG_INET=n`` (but latter with ``CONFIG_NET=y``). Test your code============== 1) Has been tested with ``CONFIG_PREEMPT``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT``,   ``CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_PAGEALLOC``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES``,   ``CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP``,   ``CONFIG_PROVE_RCU`` and ``CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_RCU_HEAD`` all   simultaneously enabled. 2) Has been build- and runtime tested with and without ``CONFIG_SMP`` and   ``CONFIG_PREEMPT.`` 3) All codepaths have been exercised with all lockdep features enabled. 4) Has been checked with injection of at least slab and page-allocation   failures.  See ``Documentation/fault-injection/``.   If the new code is substantial, addition of subsystem-specific fault   injection might be appropriate. 5) Tested with the most recent tag of linux-next to make sure that it still   works with all of the other queued patches and various changes in the VM,   VFS, and other subsystems.