Linux-Libre kernel

[Alexandre Oliva]

[adding linux-libre at fsfla.org]

Hello, Ben,

On Jan 30, 2018, Ben Gailly <ben at techtux.be> wrote:

> So, I'm a Kernel newbie. As a newbie, I know that I have to start
> somewhere somehow and after I'll have to choose a path.

> I already have plenty of informations about kernel development (a lot
> of websites/books to learn of, teaching, tutorials, etc).

> But as a Free Software advocate and enthusiast, I would like to start
> my path in learning how to develop kernels patches or drivers or
> modules only as Free Software, which could be part of the Linux-Libre
> kernel and not necessarly part of the mainline Linux Kernel...

> Could you help me in providing informations on how to develop for the
> Linux-Libre kernel? How to remove/change codes to match the FSF
> guidelines?

IIRC we talked on IRC shortly after you sent email (I recall seeing the
message coming into my inbox, but I didn't manage to find it again; I
didn't think of looking for it in the folder that holds email for
info at fsfla.org, since it's so unrelated with general requests for
information from the organization), but if I'm mistaken, I apologize for
the long delay in responding.

We don't make changes to Linux other than the minimal ones required to
make it FSDG-compliant.  Any other sort of development should go
upstream; our deblobbing infrastructure is not compatible with
maintaining other kinds of local patches, which is fine because our goal
is to keep divergence to a minimum.


Now, maybe in your last paragraph you're not asking about developing the
kernel, but rather developing userland applications for the kernel.  The
good news is that the userland/kernel interfaces are not changed in any
way, so userland development for GNU Linux-libre is no different from
userland development for non-Free Linux.  Except for the joy of using a
kernel that respects your freedom ;-)

-- 
Alexandre Oliva, freedom fighter    http://FSFLA.org/~lxoliva/
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Gandhi
Be Free! -- http://FSFLA.org/   FSF Latin America board member
Free Software Evangelist|Red Hat Brasil GNU Toolchain Engineer