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docs/generic-kernels: clarify requirements, guidance for adding options

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Here are some things I noticed while adding options to generic kconfig,
that I think would have been helpful for me to know ahead of time.

Signed-off-by: Clayton Craft <craftyguy@postmarketos.org>
Part-of: <https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/pmaports/-/merge_requests/9163>
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Clayton Craft 2026-07-28 11:26:12 -07:00 • committed by The Friendly Meow (merge) Bot
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docs/packaging/kernel-packages/generic-kernel-packages.md
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@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ only exist for grouping things together, no filtering is performed, so don't
think too much about it.
If this configuration option was only added recently, find out since when it
exists in Linux. Also, make sure to check whether it can be enabled on all
architectures or only on select few.
exists in Linux.
You can then add to `kconfig-generic.toml`:
@ -64,16 +63,35 @@ VIDEO_OV8856 = "m"
This would result in `CONFIG_VIDEO_OV8856=m` being set for all generic kernels
newer than 6.12-rc1 and enable it on all architectures.
If a lot of unrelated configs are being changed, make sure to split the
changes into separate GitLab MRs according to what they are for. For
example: don't combine enabling a WiFi driver for a device with also
enabling generic cryptography configs.
Before submitting your change in a GitLab MR for the generic kernel maintainers
to review, make sure:
You can submit your change in a GitLab MR for the generic kernel maintainers to
review. Please do **not** regenerate the kernel configurations; your change
will be included as part of the next kernel upgrade. Rebuilds of the kernel
packages take a long time and they get updated regularly, so you'll only need
to wait a few days until your change makes it into the released binaries.
- Architecture scoping is as broad as possible. The default should be `"all"`
unless there is a specific reason to restrict it to one architecture. For
example, `CONFIG_PINCTRL_AMD` only makes sense on `x86_64`, but a config
option like `CONFIG_I2C_DESIGNWARE_CORE` is not architecture-specific and
should use `"all"`. When in doubt, prefer `"all"`.
- Each option is not already enabled or pulled in by a dependency in the
existing config. Check the Kconfig dependency chain in the Linux kernel
source. If an option you are already enabling selects another option via
`select` in Kconfig, adding the selected option explicitly is redundant. You
can check dependencies using `make menuconfig` or by reading the relevant
`Kconfig` files.
- Device drivers are set to `"m"` (built as modules). Subsystem infrastructure
and platform or bus dependencies that are prerequisites for drivers (for
example, `I2C_DESIGNWARE_CORE` or `PINCTRL`) should be set to `"y"` instead.
- Categories in the file are sorted alphabetically.
- Unrelated config changes are split into separate MRs. For example, don't
combine enabling a WiFi driver for a device with also enabling generic
cryptography configs. A single MR with multiple configs is fine as long as
they are related, for example all the drivers needed for one device.
- You have run `pmbootstrap kconfig generate` for all supported architectures
and verified that your options appear in the generated configs.
Please do **not** regenerate the kernel configurations; your change will be
included as part of the next kernel upgrade. Rebuilds of the kernel packages
take a long time and they get updated regularly, so you'll only need to wait a
few days until your change makes it into the released binaries.
## Policy for patches