Get the Code Upstream

In order for a new or updated driver to be included in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel, it must first be accepted into the upstream Linux kernel. Directions for upstream kernel submission can be found in the following document hosted by The Linux Foundation. Section five, "Posting Patches", is the section that deals with submitting code to the upstream kernel, but the entire document is worth reading for its explanation of the best way to interact with the Linux development community:

https://www.linux.com/publications/how-participate-linux-community

Get the Code into Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Once the driver has been accepted upstream, you may file a request for Red Hat to backport the driver into the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel.

Which releases of Red Hat Enterprise Linux could accept my code?

New and updated drivers are considered for inclusion in version(s) of Red Hat Enterprise Linux that are:

1. Under development at the time the request is processed
2. In an appropriate Life Cycle phase of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Product Lifecycle ¹.

Red Hat does not incorporate new or updated drivers into already released versions of the operating system². Here is an example of the versions of the operating system that could accept a proposed new driver:

In December of 2011, a partner approaches Red Hat asking for a new FibreChannel adapter to be supported in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and 6. At that time, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 and 6.3 are under development, so those are the releases where the driver could potentially be incorporated. It would not be possible to add the driver to version 6.2, 6.1, 5.8, 5.7, or any other version that had already shipped. Both 5.9 and 6.3 are in the Full Support Phase of the product lifecycle at that time, so they are able to accept new and updated drivers. If they were in a later phase of the lifecycle, it would be unlikely that new drivers could be accepted.

Please note: While Red Hat is unable to fulfill all requests for new or updated driver inclusion, Red Hat does evaluate each request received from partners and customers with valid Red Hat product subscriptions.

Who do I work with at Red Hat?

There are several ways to request the inclusion of a new or updated driver, depending on your relationship with Red Hat. Please choose the option below that most closely matches your relationship:

1. If you have a dedicated Red Hat representative like a Technical Account Manager (TAM) or other assigned personnel, you should follow the feature request process they provide to you. Please consult your Red Hat representative if you are unfamiliar with the correct process.

2. If you don't have a dedicated representative at Red Hat but the request for driver inclusion is being made on behalf of a partner who does (a large system vendor wants to include your new 10-gigabit Ethernet card, for example), please work through that vendor. They will be able to leverage their Red Hat resources and increase the chance for driver acceptance.

3. If you do not have a dedicated representative at Red Hat and are not working with a partner who does, you have two options:

   • If you are a customer who has valid Red Hat product subscriptions that grant access to the Customer Portal, please open a Request for Enhancement (RFE) by following the process documented here: https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/solutions/73513. You will need a valid login to view the document on the Customer Portal and to open the RFE with a Global Support Services (GSS) Engineer.

   • If you do not have access to the Customer Portal you can submit the request to Red Hat Bugzilla directly, but there is no guarantee that the request will be acknowledged. There is no obligation for Red Hat to respond to Bugzilla submissions that do not go through a Red Hat representative (TAM, GSS Engineer, component maintainer, other dedicated Red Hat personnel). If the item is crucial, please consider purchasing a Red Hat product subscription in order to obtain support. If you do purchase a subscription, please keep in mind that Red Hat is unable to fulfill all requests for new or updated driver inclusion, even for users with a valid product subscription.

Please open a support ticket on the Customer Portal (https://access.redhat.com) or with your dedicated support resource if you have further questions about the driver acceptance process. Be sure to reference this article in your ticket so that Red Hat engineers can update it, if possible, to prevent other people from encountering the same problem.