Note on linux kernel patch submission

kernel_patch_note.md

Prepare a patch

• Set up your email client properly Better to set inside the each local git project's .git/config instead of all-in-one globally at ~/.gitconfig as each project might need different account / credential. Add the following (in this case we use mutt, just take advantage of certificates as used by it for ease of integration)

  [sendemail]
    from = FirstName Lastname <email@domain.com>
    smtpEncryption = tls
    smtpuse = email@domain.com
    smtpserver = mail.domain.com
    smtpserverport = <portnumber>
    smtpAuth = LOGIN
    smtpsslcertpath = ~/.mutt/certificates
  

• Make changes to linux kernel code

• Generate patch file with git format-patch HEAD~ or git format-patch HEAD~<number-of-commits>

• Lint the patch with ./scripts/checkpatch.pl <your-patch-filename>.patch

• Send the email with

  git send-email <your-patch-filename>.patch --to-cmd='./scripts/get_maintainer.pl --norolestats <your-patch-filename>.patch' --cc "additional@people.com" --cc "additional2@people.com"
  

• Hit y for send.

Resend the patch (ping the maintainers)

• Send email with the following command

  git send-email <your-patch-filename>.patch --to-cmd='./scripts/get_maintainer.pl --norolestats <your-patch-filename>.patch' --cc "additional@people.com" --cc "additional2@people.com"
  

• Hit e to edit the patch.
• Edit the title from [PATCH] to [PATCH RESEND], save then exit.
• Hit s to send the patch.

Send a patch series with multiple .patch files (as we have multiple commits)

• Send email with the following command

  git format-patch --cover-letter HEAD~<number-of-commit>` or `git format-patch --cover-letter master..feature
  

  Use HEAD~<number-of-commits> to explicitly specify number of commits we have created preparing for a patch series, or use difference between current branch master against the branch you're working on feature.

• ... same workflow with others

Send incremental patch

• git format-patch -v2 HEAD~ or git format-patch -v2 HEAD~<number-of-commits> -v2 here is the version number of the patch.
• ... same workflow with others