The Linux Kernel Archives

Welcome to the Linux Kernel Archives. This is the primary site for the Linux kernel source, but it has much more than just Linux kernels.

The Linux Kernel Archives Mirror System

To improve access for everyone, a number of sites around the world have provided mirrors of this site, which may be faster to use than the master archive itself. Please see http://www.kernel.org/mirrors/ for information about how to connect to a participating mirror site.

To guard against Trojan mirror sites, all files originating at the Linux Kernel Archives are cryptographically signed. If you are getting a message that the verification key has expired, please see this link.

What is Linux?

Linux is a clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

It has all the features you would expect in a modern fully-fledged Unix, including true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared copy-on-write executables, proper memory management, and multistack networking including IPv4 and IPv6.

Although originally developed first for 32-bit x86-based PCs (386 or higher), today Linux also runs on (at least) the Compaq Alpha AXP, Sun SPARC and UltraSPARC, Motorola 68000, PowerPC, PowerPC64, ARM, Hitachi SuperH, IBM S/390, MIPS, HP PA-RISC, Intel IA-64, DEC VAX, AMD x86-64, AXIS CRIS, and Renesas M32R architectures.

Linux is easily portable to most general-purpose 32- or 64-bit architectures as long as they have a paged memory management unit (PMMU) and a port of the GNU C compiler (gcc) (part of The GNU Compiler Collection, GCC). Linux has also been ported to a number of architectures without a PMMU, although functionality is then obviously somewhat limited. See the µClinux project for more info.

New to Linux?

If you're new to Linux, you don't want to download the kernel, which is just a component in a working Linux system. Instead, you want what is called a distribution of Linux, which is a complete Linux system. There are numerous distributions available for download on the Internet as well as for purchase from various vendors; some are general-purpose, and some are optimized for specific uses. We currently have mirrors of several distributions available at mirrors.kernel.org, as well as a small collection of special-purpose distributions at http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/.

Note, however, that most distributions are very large, so unless you have a very fast Internet link you may want to save yourself some hassle and purchase a CD-ROM with a distribution; such CD-ROMs are available from a number of vendors.

The Linux Installation HOWTO has more information how to set up your first Linux system.

More Information

There is much information about Linux on the web.

Reporting Linux Kernel bugs

Please see http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/docs/lkml/reporting-bugs.html if you want to report a Linux kernel bug. Bug reports sent to the kernel.org administrators will be ignored.

There is now a bugzilla setup at bugzilla.kernel.org. Currently this is for reporting kernel version 2.6 bugs only.

Mailing list

The Linux kernel is discussed on the linux-kernel mailing list at vger.kernel.org. The FAQ is available at http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/docs/lkml/, please read the FAQ before subscribing.

Although there is no official archive site, unofficial archives of the list can be found at:

• http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel
• http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/

and a summary service can be found at:

• http://www.kernel-traffic.org/

Development trees

The Linux kernel, as well as several other pieces of software, are maintained using the git source code control system. For a more user-friendly wrapper around git, see Cogito.

See http://www.kernel.org/git for a list of git repositories on kernel.org.

Cryptographic Software

Due to U.S. Exports Regulations, all cryptographic software on this site is subject to the following legal notice:

This site includes publicly available encryption source code which, together with object code resulting from the compiling of publicly available source code, may be exported from the United States under License Exception "TSU" pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 740.13(e).

This legal notice applies to cryptographic software only. Please see the Bureau of Industry and Security for more information about current U.S. regulations.

Our servers are located in Santa Clara, Palo Alto and San Francisco, California, USA; use in violation of any applicable laws is prohibited.

Continued freedom...

The continued freedom to create and use free software is always in danger. Unfortunately, some interests seem to use the tragic events of September 11, 2001 as an excuse for wide-ranging infringement on civil liberties, some of which may threaten the very ability to create free software at all.

Please refer to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Democracy and Technology or the Electronic Privacy Information Center for more information.

Comments

For comments about the web pages, please send mail to webmaster@kernel.org.

For comments about the file archive, please send mail to ftpadmin@kernel.org.

Please do not send general Linux questions or bug reports to these addresses. We do not have the resources to reply to them. If your message does not relate to the operation of the Linux Kernel Archives, it will be deleted without action. Because of the volume of unsolicited email we receive, please add [KORG] to the subject to avoid accidental deletion. Additionally, any Content-Type other than text/plain will most likely be deleted without action.

This site is operated by the Kernel.Org Organization, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, with support from the following sponsors.

Linux is a Registered Trademark of Linus Torvalds.
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