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How Linux is built with Greg Kroah-Hartman

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Manage episode 472308635 series 3602041
Content provided by Gergely Orosz. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Gergely Orosz or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Supported by Our Partners

WorkOS — The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS.

Vanta — Automate compliance and simplify security with Vanta.

Linux is the most widespread operating system, globally – but how is it built? Few people are better to answer this than Greg Kroah-Hartman: a Linux kernel maintainer for 25 years, and one of the 3 Linux Kernel Foundation Fellows (the other two are Linus Torvalds and Shuah Khan). Greg manages the Linux kernel’s stable releases, and is a maintainer of multiple kernel subsystems.

We cover the inner workings of Linux kernel development, exploring everything from how changes get implemented to why its community-driven approach produces such reliable software. Greg shares insights about the kernel's unique trust model and makes a case for why engineers should contribute to open-source projects. We go into:

• How widespread is Linux?

• What is the Linux kernel responsible for – and why is it a monolith?

• How does a kernel change get merged? A walkthrough

• The 9-week development cycle for the Linux kernel

• Testing the Linux kernel

• Why is Linux so widespread?

• The career benefits of open-source contribution

• And much more!

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:23) How widespread is Linux?

(06:00) The difference in complexity in different devices powered by Linux

(09:20) What is the Linux kernel?

(14:00) Why trust is so important with the Linux kernel development

(16:02) A walk-through of a kernel change

(23:20) How Linux kernel development cycles work

(29:55) The testing process at Kernel and Kernel CI

(31:55) A case for the open source development process

(35:44) Linux kernel branches: Stable vs. development

(38:32) Challenges of maintaining older Linux code

(40:30) How Linux handles bug fixes

(44:40) The range of work Linux kernel engineers do

(48:33) Greg’s review process and its parallels with Uber’s RFC process

(51:48) Linux kernel within companies like IBM

(53:52) Why Linux is so widespread

(56:50) How Linux Kernel Institute runs without product managers

(1:02:01) The pros and cons of using Rust in Linux kernel

(1:09:55) How LLMs are utilized in bug fixes and coding in Linux

(1:12:13) The value of contributing to the Linux kernel or any open-source project

(1:16:40) Rapid fire round

The Pragmatic Engineer deepdives relevant for this episode:

What TPMs do and what software engineers can learn from them

The past and future of modern backend practices

Backstage: an open-source developer portal

See the transcript and other references from the episode at ⁠⁠https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/podcast⁠⁠

Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].


Get full access to The Pragmatic Engineer at newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/subscribe
  continue reading

30 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 472308635 series 3602041
Content provided by Gergely Orosz. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Gergely Orosz or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Supported by Our Partners

WorkOS — The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS.

Vanta — Automate compliance and simplify security with Vanta.

Linux is the most widespread operating system, globally – but how is it built? Few people are better to answer this than Greg Kroah-Hartman: a Linux kernel maintainer for 25 years, and one of the 3 Linux Kernel Foundation Fellows (the other two are Linus Torvalds and Shuah Khan). Greg manages the Linux kernel’s stable releases, and is a maintainer of multiple kernel subsystems.

We cover the inner workings of Linux kernel development, exploring everything from how changes get implemented to why its community-driven approach produces such reliable software. Greg shares insights about the kernel's unique trust model and makes a case for why engineers should contribute to open-source projects. We go into:

• How widespread is Linux?

• What is the Linux kernel responsible for – and why is it a monolith?

• How does a kernel change get merged? A walkthrough

• The 9-week development cycle for the Linux kernel

• Testing the Linux kernel

• Why is Linux so widespread?

• The career benefits of open-source contribution

• And much more!

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:23) How widespread is Linux?

(06:00) The difference in complexity in different devices powered by Linux

(09:20) What is the Linux kernel?

(14:00) Why trust is so important with the Linux kernel development

(16:02) A walk-through of a kernel change

(23:20) How Linux kernel development cycles work

(29:55) The testing process at Kernel and Kernel CI

(31:55) A case for the open source development process

(35:44) Linux kernel branches: Stable vs. development

(38:32) Challenges of maintaining older Linux code

(40:30) How Linux handles bug fixes

(44:40) The range of work Linux kernel engineers do

(48:33) Greg’s review process and its parallels with Uber’s RFC process

(51:48) Linux kernel within companies like IBM

(53:52) Why Linux is so widespread

(56:50) How Linux Kernel Institute runs without product managers

(1:02:01) The pros and cons of using Rust in Linux kernel

(1:09:55) How LLMs are utilized in bug fixes and coding in Linux

(1:12:13) The value of contributing to the Linux kernel or any open-source project

(1:16:40) Rapid fire round

The Pragmatic Engineer deepdives relevant for this episode:

What TPMs do and what software engineers can learn from them

The past and future of modern backend practices

Backstage: an open-source developer portal

See the transcript and other references from the episode at ⁠⁠https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/podcast⁠⁠

Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].


Get full access to The Pragmatic Engineer at newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/subscribe
  continue reading

30 episodes

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