Kernel News
Kernel News
Chronicler Zack Brown discusses AI in the kernel.
AI in the Kernel
With the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) large-language models (LLMs), the use of chatbot coding assistants has exploded throughout the software world, including in open source projects. There are many questions, such as will they replace human software developers entirely? Will they decide to kill us all? And, not least, how much credit do these AI coding assistants deserve when used by developers? As Sasha Levin recently put it, "As AI tools become increasingly common in software development, it's important to establish clear guidelines for their use in kernel development."
Sasha posted a patch, offering some unified configuration files for some of the top coding assistants, including Claude, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codeium, Continue, Windsurf Editor, and Aider. This would hopefully, he said, make sure that all AI assistants would have similar behaviors.
Beyond that, Sasha posted another patch, instructing the AI assistants in the Linux kernel's coding standards, development processes, license requirements, and attribution.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.
-
Parrot OS Switches to KDE Plasma Desktop
Yet another distro is making the move to the KDE Plasma desktop.
-
TUXEDO Announces Gemini 17
TUXEDO Computers has released the fourth generation of its Gemini laptop with plenty of updates.
-
Two New Distros Adopt Enlightenment
MX Moksha and AV Linux 25 join ranks with Bodhi Linux and embrace the Enlightenment desktop.
-
Solus Linux 4.8 Removes Python 2
Solus Linux 4.8 has been released with the latest Linux kernel, updated desktops, and a key removal.
-
Zorin OS 18 Hits over a Million Downloads
If you doubt Linux isn't gaining popularity, you only have to look at Zorin OS's download numbers.
-
TUXEDO Computers Scraps Snapdragon X1E-Based Laptop
Due to issues with a Snapdragon CPU, TUXEDO Computers has cancelled its plans to release a laptop based on this elite hardware.
-
Debian Unleashes Debian Libre Live
Debian Libre Live keeps your machine free of proprietary software.
-
Valve Announces Pending Release of Steam Machine
Shout it to the heavens: Steam Machine, powered by Linux, is set to arrive in 2026.