42 lines
1.9 KiB
ReStructuredText
42 lines
1.9 KiB
ReStructuredText
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.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
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arch/riscv maintenance guidelines for developers
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================================================
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Overview
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--------
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The RISC-V instruction set architecture is developed in the open:
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in-progress drafts are available for all to review and to experiment
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with implementations. New module or extension drafts can change
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during the development process - sometimes in ways that are
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incompatible with previous drafts. This flexibility can present a
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challenge for RISC-V Linux maintenance. Linux maintainers disapprove
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of churn, and the Linux development process prefers well-reviewed and
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tested code over experimental code. We wish to extend these same
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principles to the RISC-V-related code that will be accepted for
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inclusion in the kernel.
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Submit Checklist Addendum
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-------------------------
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We'll only accept patches for new modules or extensions if the
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specifications for those modules or extensions are listed as being
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unlikely to be incompatibly changed in the future. For
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specifications from the RISC-V foundation this means "Frozen" or
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"Ratified", for the UEFI forum specifications this means a published
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ECR. (Developers may, of course, maintain their own Linux kernel trees
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that contain code for any draft extensions that they wish.)
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Additionally, the RISC-V specification allows implementers to create
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their own custom extensions. These custom extensions aren't required
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to go through any review or ratification process by the RISC-V
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Foundation. To avoid the maintenance complexity and potential
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performance impact of adding kernel code for implementor-specific
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RISC-V extensions, we'll only consider patches for extensions that either:
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- Have been officially frozen or ratified by the RISC-V Foundation, or
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- Have been implemented in hardware that is widely available, per standard
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Linux practice.
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(Implementers, may, of course, maintain their own Linux kernel trees containing
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code for any custom extensions that they wish.)
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