Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] README: restructure with role-based documentation and guidelines

[Sasha Levin]

On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 10:22:34AM +0200, Geert Uytterhoeven wrote:
> Hi Sasha,
>
> On Sun, 10 Aug 2025 at 10:09, Sasha Levin <sashal@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Reorganize README to provide targeted documentation paths for different
> > user roles including developers, researchers, security experts,
> > maintainers, and AI coding assistants. Add quick start section and
> > essential docs links.
> >
> > Include proper attribution requirements for AI-assisted contributions
> > using Assisted-by tags with agent details and tools used.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Thanks for your patch!
>
> > --- a/README
> > +++ b/README
>
> > +Who Are You?
> > +============
> > +
> > +Find your role below:
> > +
> > +* New Kernel Developer - Getting started with kernel development
> > +* Academic Researcher - Studying kernel internals and architecture
> > +* Security Expert - Hardening and vulnerability analysis
> > +* Backport/Maintenance Engineer - Maintaining stable kernels
> > +* System Administrator - Configuring and troubleshooting
> > +* Maintainer - Leading subsystems and reviewing patches
>
> Kernel Maintainer?
> Driver/Subsystem Maintainer?

I tried to use similar terms to the ones used by the rest of our docs.
In this case, the CoC interpertation actually defines this term :)

	The Code of Conduct uses the term "maintainers" numerous times.
	In the kernel community, a "maintainer" is anyone who is
	responsible for a subsystem, driver, or file, and is listed in
	the MAINTAINERS file in the kernel source tree.

So I just went with "Maintainer".

> > +* Hardware Vendor - Writing drivers for new hardware
> > +* Distribution Maintainer - Packaging kernels for distros
> > +* Agentic Coding - AI assistants working with kernel code
>
> Given the extensive split, what about normal (existing) kernel
> developers?

Those people don't read the docs anyway :p

How about something like:

Existing Kernel Developer
-------------------------

Continue advancing your kernel development expertise:

* Locking and Concurrency: Documentation/locking/index.rst
* RCU (Read-Copy Update): Documentation/RCU/index.rst
* Subsystem APIs: Documentation/driver-api/index.rst
* Performance Analysis: Documentation/trace/index.rst
* Testing Infrastructure: Documentation/dev-tools/testing-overview.rst
* Patch Series Management: Documentation/process/5.Posting.rst
* Maintainer Handbooks: Documentation/process/maintainer-handbooks.rst
* Cross-Architecture Development: Documentation/arch/index.rst
* Kernel Debugging: Documentation/process/debugging/kgdb.rst

--
Thanks,
Sasha