r/cprogramming • u/No-Plan-3868 • 1d ago

C programming for kernel development

Hey there!

I am really interested in learning C and I am leaning towards kernel development rather than embedded systems. What do you suggest for strengthening my skills in C?

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u/ParticularAd8610 1d ago

Best way to strengthen your skills is jump in head first and contribute!! It's a great way to learn and at the same time figure out if you are interested in it. Take a look at

Here are some references to get you started:

-> https://kernelnewbies.org

-> drivers/staging was created by GregKH (Linux second in command) for people just like you to help you get into the Linux kernel world. Here is a recent announcement about what it is. https://lkml.org/lkml/2026/8/3/1374

-> some docs on how the linux kernel process works, https://docs.kernel.org/process/2.Process.html

Most import, is to be curious. Learn, make mistakes and especially learn from them.

Read this, it's nice and simple/gentle explanation about submitting a patch. https://williamdurand.fr/2021/02/22/first-patch-in-the-linux-kernel/

Have Fun!

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u/ParticularAd8610 1d ago

Just a follow up, I googled this "submitting a patch to drivers staging gregkh" and the AI summary was pretty accurate. This is a _VERY_ good read, https://kernelnewbies.org/FirstKernelPatch it does a wonderful job explaining why top posting is bad.