1*4882a593Smuzhiyun.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 2*4882a593Smuzhiyun 3*4882a593Smuzhiyunarch/riscv maintenance guidelines for developers 4*4882a593Smuzhiyun================================================ 5*4882a593Smuzhiyun 6*4882a593SmuzhiyunOverview 7*4882a593Smuzhiyun-------- 8*4882a593SmuzhiyunThe RISC-V instruction set architecture is developed in the open: 9*4882a593Smuzhiyunin-progress drafts are available for all to review and to experiment 10*4882a593Smuzhiyunwith implementations. New module or extension drafts can change 11*4882a593Smuzhiyunduring the development process - sometimes in ways that are 12*4882a593Smuzhiyunincompatible with previous drafts. This flexibility can present a 13*4882a593Smuzhiyunchallenge for RISC-V Linux maintenance. Linux maintainers disapprove 14*4882a593Smuzhiyunof churn, and the Linux development process prefers well-reviewed and 15*4882a593Smuzhiyuntested code over experimental code. We wish to extend these same 16*4882a593Smuzhiyunprinciples to the RISC-V-related code that will be accepted for 17*4882a593Smuzhiyuninclusion in the kernel. 18*4882a593Smuzhiyun 19*4882a593SmuzhiyunSubmit Checklist Addendum 20*4882a593Smuzhiyun------------------------- 21*4882a593SmuzhiyunWe'll only accept patches for new modules or extensions if the 22*4882a593Smuzhiyunspecifications for those modules or extensions are listed as being 23*4882a593Smuzhiyun"Frozen" or "Ratified" by the RISC-V Foundation. (Developers may, of 24*4882a593Smuzhiyuncourse, maintain their own Linux kernel trees that contain code for 25*4882a593Smuzhiyunany draft extensions that they wish.) 26*4882a593Smuzhiyun 27*4882a593SmuzhiyunAdditionally, the RISC-V specification allows implementors to create 28*4882a593Smuzhiyuntheir own custom extensions. These custom extensions aren't required 29*4882a593Smuzhiyunto go through any review or ratification process by the RISC-V 30*4882a593SmuzhiyunFoundation. To avoid the maintenance complexity and potential 31*4882a593Smuzhiyunperformance impact of adding kernel code for implementor-specific 32*4882a593SmuzhiyunRISC-V extensions, we'll only to accept patches for extensions that 33*4882a593Smuzhiyunhave been officially frozen or ratified by the RISC-V Foundation. 34*4882a593Smuzhiyun(Implementors, may, of course, maintain their own Linux kernel trees 35*4882a593Smuzhiyuncontaining code for any custom extensions that they wish.) 36