Getting started with kernel development
First Steps
Kernel coder Greg Kroah-Hartman explains how to take your first steps with the kernel team – and highlights some exciting new developments in Linux.
No discussion of Linux is complete without a look at the sprawling yet wonderfully efficient operation at the center of it all: the kernel development project. For an inside look, we chased down one of the leading insiders: Greg Kroah-Hartman is a Linux Foundation fellow and the maintainer of the kernel stable branch. He also created the udev device manager, founded the Linux Driver project, and worked on many other drivers and subsystems in the Linux space. We asked Greg how he got started – and how an aspiring kernel hacker who is new in the field could take their first steps.
Linux Magazine: For readers who don't know you, how long have you been working on the Linux kernel, what are you working on, and how does that influence your daily routine?
Greg Kroah-Hartman: I started contributing to Linux pretty late compared to many other core kernel developers, with my first patches getting merged I think in 1997 or 1998. I had been using Linux for quite a while before that, but I just did not have the time to contribute to it before then.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.