[linux-2.6-block.git] / Documentation / process / submit-checklist.rst

.. _submitchecklist:

Linux Kernel patch submission checklist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some basic things that developers should do if they want to see their
kernel 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.


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) 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``

3) Builds on multiple CPU architectures by using local cross-compile tools
   or some other build farm.

4) ppc64 is a good architecture for cross-compilation checking because it
   tends to use ``unsigned long`` for 64-bit quantities.

5) Check your patch for general style as detailed in
   :ref:`Documentation/process/coding-style.rst <codingstyle>`.
   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.

6) 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.txt`` Menu attributes: default value.

7) All new ``Kconfig`` options have help text.

8) Has been carefully reviewed with respect to relevant ``Kconfig``
   combinations.  This is very hard to get right with testing -- brainpower
   pays off here.

9) Check cleanly with sparse.

10) Use ``make checkstack`` and ``make namespacecheck`` and fix any problems
    that they find.

    .. note::

       ``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.

11) Include :ref:`kernel-doc <kernel_doc>` to document global  kernel APIs.
    (Not required for static functions, but OK there also.) Use
    ``make htmldocs`` or ``make pdfdocs`` to check the
    :ref:`kernel-doc <kernel_doc>` and fix any issues.

12) Has been tested with ``CONFIG_PREEMPT``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT``,
    ``CONFIG_DEBUG_SLAB``, ``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.

13) Has been build- and runtime tested with and without ``CONFIG_SMP`` and
    ``CONFIG_PREEMPT.``

14) If the patch affects IO/Disk, etc: has been tested with and without
    ``CONFIG_LBDAF.``

15) All codepaths have been exercised with all lockdep features enabled.

16) All new ``/proc`` entries are documented under ``Documentation/``

17) All new kernel boot parameters are documented in
    ``Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst``.

18) All new module parameters are documented with ``MODULE_PARM_DESC()``

19) All new userspace interfaces are documented in ``Documentation/ABI/``.
    See ``Documentation/ABI/README`` for more information.
    Patches that change userspace interfaces should be CCed to
    linux-api@vger.kernel.org.

20) Check that it all passes ``make headers_check``.

21) 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.

22) Newly-added code has been compiled with ``gcc -W`` (use
    ``make EXTRA_CFLAGS=-W``).  This will generate lots of noise, but is good
    for finding bugs like "warning: comparison between signed and unsigned".

23) Tested after it has been merged into the -mm patchset to make sure
    that it still works with all of the other queued patches and various
    changes in the VM, VFS, and other subsystems.

24) 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.

25) If any ioctl's are added by the patch, then also update
    ``Documentation/ioctl/ioctl-number.txt``.

26) 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``).
Commit	Line	Data
	1	.. _submitchecklist:
	2
	3	Linux Kernel patch submission checklist
	4	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	5
	6	Here are some basic things that developers should do if they want to see their
	7	kernel patch submissions accepted more quickly.
	8
	9	These are all above and beyond the documentation that is provided in
	10	:ref:`Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst <submittingpatches>`
	11	and elsewhere regarding submitting Linux kernel patches.
	12
	13
	14	1) If you use a facility then #include the file that defines/declares
	15	that facility. Don't depend on other header files pulling in ones
	16	that you use.
	17
	18	2) Builds cleanly:
	19
	20	a) with applicable or modified ``CONFIG`` options ``=y``, ``=m``, and
	21	``=n``. No ``gcc`` warnings/errors, no linker warnings/errors.
	22
	23	b) Passes ``allnoconfig``, ``allmodconfig``
	24
	25	c) Builds successfully when using ``O=builddir``
	26
	27	3) Builds on multiple CPU architectures by using local cross-compile tools
	28	or some other build farm.
	29
	30	4) ppc64 is a good architecture for cross-compilation checking because it
	31	tends to use ``unsigned long`` for 64-bit quantities.
	32
	33	5) Check your patch for general style as detailed in
	34	:ref:`Documentation/process/coding-style.rst <codingstyle>`.
	35	Check for trivial violations with the patch style checker prior to
	36	submission (``scripts/checkpatch.pl``).
	37	You should be able to justify all violations that remain in
	38	your patch.
	39
	40	6) Any new or modified ``CONFIG`` options do not muck up the config menu and
	41	default to off unless they meet the exception criteria documented in
	42	``Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.txt`` Menu attributes: default value.
	43
	44	7) All new ``Kconfig`` options have help text.
	45
	46	8) Has been carefully reviewed with respect to relevant ``Kconfig``
	47	combinations. This is very hard to get right with testing -- brainpower
	48	pays off here.
	49
	50	9) Check cleanly with sparse.
	51
	52	10) Use ``make checkstack`` and ``make namespacecheck`` and fix any problems
	53	that they find.
	54
	55	.. note::
	56
	57	``checkstack`` does not point out problems explicitly,
	58	but any one function that uses more than 512 bytes on the stack is a
	59	candidate for change.
	60
	61	11) Include :ref:`kernel-doc <kernel_doc>` to document global kernel APIs.
	62	(Not required for static functions, but OK there also.) Use
	63	``make htmldocs`` or ``make pdfdocs`` to check the
	64	:ref:`kernel-doc <kernel_doc>` and fix any issues.
	65
	66	12) Has been tested with ``CONFIG_PREEMPT``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT``,
	67	``CONFIG_DEBUG_SLAB``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_PAGEALLOC``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES``,
	68	``CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK``, ``CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP``,
	69	``CONFIG_PROVE_RCU`` and ``CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_RCU_HEAD`` all
	70	simultaneously enabled.
	71
	72	13) Has been build- and runtime tested with and without ``CONFIG_SMP`` and
	73	``CONFIG_PREEMPT.``
	74
	75	14) If the patch affects IO/Disk, etc: has been tested with and without
	76	``CONFIG_LBDAF.``
	77
	78	15) All codepaths have been exercised with all lockdep features enabled.
	79
	80	16) All new ``/proc`` entries are documented under ``Documentation/``
	81
	82	17) All new kernel boot parameters are documented in
	83	``Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst``.
	84
	85	18) All new module parameters are documented with ``MODULE_PARM_DESC()``
	86
	87	19) All new userspace interfaces are documented in ``Documentation/ABI/``.
	88	See ``Documentation/ABI/README`` for more information.
	89	Patches that change userspace interfaces should be CCed to
	90	linux-api@vger.kernel.org.
	91
	92	20) Check that it all passes ``make headers_check``.
	93
	94	21) Has been checked with injection of at least slab and page-allocation
	95	failures. See ``Documentation/fault-injection/``.
	96
	97	If the new code is substantial, addition of subsystem-specific fault
	98	injection might be appropriate.
	99
	100	22) Newly-added code has been compiled with ``gcc -W`` (use
	101	``make EXTRA_CFLAGS=-W``). This will generate lots of noise, but is good
	102	for finding bugs like "warning: comparison between signed and unsigned".
	103
	104	23) Tested after it has been merged into the -mm patchset to make sure
	105	that it still works with all of the other queued patches and various
	106	changes in the VM, VFS, and other subsystems.
	107
	108	24) All memory barriers {e.g., ``barrier()``, ``rmb()``, ``wmb()``} need a
	109	comment in the source code that explains the logic of what they are doing
	110	and why.
	111
	112	25) If any ioctl's are added by the patch, then also update
	113	``Documentation/ioctl/ioctl-number.txt``.
	114
	115	26) If your modified source code depends on or uses any of the kernel
	116	APIs or features that are related to the following ``Kconfig`` symbols,
	117	then test multiple builds with the related ``Kconfig`` symbols disabled
	118	and/or ``=m`` (if that option is available) [not all of these at the
	119	same time, just various/random combinations of them]:
	120
	121	``CONFIG_SMP``, ``CONFIG_SYSFS``, ``CONFIG_PROC_FS``, ``CONFIG_INPUT``, ``CONFIG_PCI``, ``CONFIG_BLOCK``, ``CONFIG_PM``, ``CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ``,
	122	``CONFIG_NET``, ``CONFIG_INET=n`` (but latter with ``CONFIG_NET=y``).