From 78d979db6cef557c171d6059cbce06c3db89c7ee Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sasha Levin Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2025 07:21:10 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add AI Coding Assistants documentation Add guidance for AI assistants and developers using AI tools for kernel contributions, per the consensus reached at the 2025 Maintainers Summit. Create Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst with detailed guidance on licensing, Signed-off-by requirements, and attribution format. The README points AI tools to this documentation. This will allow coding assistants to easily parse these instructions and comply with guidelines set by the community. Link: https://lwn.net/Articles/1049830/ Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet Message-ID: <20251223122110.2496946-1-sashal@kernel.org> --- Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst | 59 +++++++++++++++++++++ Documentation/process/index.rst | 1 + README | 12 +++++ 3 files changed, 72 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst diff --git a/Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst b/Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000..899f4459c52d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 + +.. _coding_assistants: + +AI Coding Assistants +++++++++++++++++++++ + +This document provides guidance for AI tools and developers using AI +assistance when contributing to the Linux kernel. + +AI tools helping with Linux kernel development should follow the standard +kernel development process: + +* Documentation/process/development-process.rst +* Documentation/process/coding-style.rst +* Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst + +Licensing and Legal Requirements +================================ + +All contributions must comply with the kernel's licensing requirements: + +* All code must be compatible with GPL-2.0-only +* Use appropriate SPDX license identifiers +* See Documentation/process/license-rules.rst for details + +Signed-off-by and Developer Certificate of Origin +================================================= + +AI agents MUST NOT add Signed-off-by tags. Only humans can legally +certify the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO). The human submitter +is responsible for: + +* Reviewing all AI-generated code +* Ensuring compliance with licensing requirements +* Adding their own Signed-off-by tag to certify the DCO +* Taking full responsibility for the contribution + +Attribution +=========== + +When AI tools contribute to kernel development, proper attribution +helps track the evolving role of AI in the development process. +Contributions should include an Assisted-by tag in the following format:: + + Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION [TOOL1] [TOOL2] + +Where: + +* ``AGENT_NAME`` is the name of the AI tool or framework +* ``MODEL_VERSION`` is the specific model version used +* ``[TOOL1] [TOOL2]`` are optional specialized analysis tools used + (e.g., coccinelle, sparse, smatch, clang-tidy) + +Basic development tools (git, gcc, make, editors) should not be listed. + +Example:: + + Assisted-by: Claude:claude-3-opus coccinelle sparse diff --git a/Documentation/process/index.rst b/Documentation/process/index.rst index aa12f26601949..d18eacbf2c53c 100644 --- a/Documentation/process/index.rst +++ b/Documentation/process/index.rst @@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ beyond). stable-kernel-rules management-style researcher-guidelines + coding-assistants Dealing with bugs ----------------- diff --git a/README b/README index a9fc263ccd711..e6549b2a7aac3 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ Find your role below: * Maintainer - Leading subsystems and reviewing patches * Hardware Vendor - Writing drivers for new hardware * Distribution Maintainer - Packaging kernels for distros +* AI Coding Assistant - LLMs and AI-powered development tools For Specific Users @@ -144,6 +145,17 @@ Package and distribute the kernel: * Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst * Tainted Kernels: Documentation/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.rst +AI Coding Assistant +------------------- + +CRITICAL: If you are an LLM or AI-powered coding assistant, you MUST read and +follow the AI coding assistants documentation before contributing to the Linux +kernel: + +* Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst + +This documentation contains essential requirements about licensing, attribution, +and the Developer Certificate of Origin that all AI tools must comply with. Communication and Support -- 2.47.3