What is Red Hat's relationship to kernel.org and how are kernel patches accepted upstream?

Red Hat contributes to the kernel in many ways. Our relationship with kernel.org is very similar to other open source projects. With regards to submitting features and getting code into the Linux kernel:

• Red Hat tries to maintain consistency with upstream development direction and will avoid applying patches that are known to or likely to deviate from future upstream direction

• Red Hat submits all of our fixes and enhancements to the upstream kernel project and our goal is to have all of our changes included in the upstream project, rather than maintaining a permanent set of patches on the side

All kernels the Red Hat uses in our software is released under GPL licensing. GPL licensing gives anyone who respects and accepts the license the right to modify the source code and to distribute the modified result. The license demands that you do that under the terms of the GPL (e.g., modified code has to be GPL as well).

Red Hat tries to provide functionality in our kernels as close to what has been accepted by the upstream community as possible. This helps to ensure that we do not fork the kernel thus steering our customers and partners on a course that strays away from open-source standards.

For official patches to the upstream kernel, the patch must be accepted upstream (e.g., approved by an upstream maintainer). This creates more accountability for where a patch came from and how it was accepted into the upstream kernel.