You don't have to be a wizard: A beginner's journey into kernel development

I recently graduated from the Linux Foundation's Kernel Mentorship Program in January. Over the course of the program, I contributed around 11 patches to the Linux kernel. The most notable ones extended support for the Acer Nitro series of laptops by fixing a bug with the audio codec and added support for different thermal profiles.

The core of my presentation will be to break down the misconception that kernel development is only for seasoned experts. By reflecting on my own experience–as someone who did not even know C prior to the mentorship program, I aim to show how anyone, regardless of background or experience, can get involved and succeed in contributing to the largest (and arguably most important) open-source project in the world.

I’ll also talk about why someone might want to contribute to the kernel. In my case, for example, my patches fixed a longstanding issue with lack of microphone input on the Acer Nitro series of laptops, benefiting everyone who uses the same laptop/audio codec. Similarly, one could make meaningful contributions by addressing hardware-related issues improving the experience in a practical way for all Linux users who use the same hardware.

I will also talk about my experience with the kernel community and highlight how their support and patience played a crucial role in my development, especially during my (poor) first few attempts at submitting patches.

To wrap up, I’ll share some practical steps for getting started as the process can be quite intimidating for beginners. This will include resources that I personally found helpful during my journey as well as details regarding the Linux Foundation’s Kernel mentorship program.

• You don't need to be a C or systems engineering wizard to contribute to the Linux Kernel

• How you can get started with Linux kernel development

• How the kernel community is (mostly) very supportive and has few of the best mentors out there, both in terms of skill and mentorship

• How you can solve real problems for real hardware and potentially impact thousands if not millions of users