[PATCH] checklist update

Linux Kernel patch sumbittal checklist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some basic things that developers should do if they

want to see their kernel patch submittals accepted quicker.

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 Documentation/SubmittingPatches and elsewhere about submitting

Linux kernel patches.

These are all above and beyond the documentation that is provided in

Documentation/SubmittingPatches and elsewhere regarding submitting Linux

kernel patches.

- Builds cleanly with applicable or modified CONFIG options =y, =m, and =n.

  No gcc warnings/errors, no linker warnings/errors.

1: Builds cleanly with applicable or modified CONFIG options =y, =m, and

   =n.  No gcc warnings/errors, no linker warnings/errors.

- Passes allnoconfig, allmodconfig

2: Passes allnoconfig, allmodconfig

- Builds on multiple CPU arch-es by using local cross-compile tools

3: Builds on multiple CPU architectures by using local cross-compile tools

   or something like PLM at OSDL.

- ppc64 is a good architecture for cross-compilation checking because it

4: ppc64 is a good architecture for cross-compilation checking because it

   tends to use `unsigned long' for 64-bit quantities.

- Matches kernel coding style(!)

5: Matches kernel coding style(!)

- Any new or modified CONFIG options don't muck up the config menu.

6: Any new or modified CONFIG options don't muck up the config menu.

- All new Kconfig options have help text.

7: All new Kconfig options have help text.

- Has been carefully reviewed with respect to relevant Kconfig

  combinations.  This is very hard to get right with testing --

  brainpower pays off here.

8: Has been carefully reviewed with respect to relevant Kconfig

   combinations.  This is very hard to get right with testing -- brainpower

   pays off here.

- Check cleanly with sparse.

9: Check cleanly with sparse.

- 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.

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.

- Include kernel-doc to document global kernel APIs.  (Not required

  for static functions, but OK there also.)  Use 'make htmldocs'

  or 'make mandocs' to check the kernel-doc and fix any issues.

11: Include kernel-doc to document global kernel APIs.  (Not required for

    static functions, but OK there also.) Use 'make htmldocs' or 'make

    mandocs' to check the kernel-doc and fix any issues.

- Has been tested with CONFIG_PREEMPT, CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT,

12: Has been tested with CONFIG_PREEMPT, CONFIG_DEBUG_PREEMPT,

    CONFIG_DEBUG_SLAB, CONFIG_DEBUG_PAGEALLOC, CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES,

    CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK, CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK_SLEEP all simultaneously

    enabled.

- Has been build- and runtime tested with and without CONFIG_SMP and

13: Has been build- and runtime tested with and without CONFIG_SMP and

    CONFIG_PREEMPT.

- If the patch affects IO/Disk, etc: has been tested with and without

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

    CONFIG_LBD.

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

2006-APR-27

16: All new /proc entries are documented under Documentation/

17: All new kernel boot parameters are documented in

    Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt.

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