Linux Kernel Engineer

Project

Work done for a product or program.

• Develop kernel subsystem code and architecture support for new SoC generations, including SMP, memory management and interrupt controllers.
• Upstream patches to mainline Linux through subsystem maintainer review on the relevant mailing lists.
• Port and rebase vendor kernel trees onto new LTS releases and shrink the out-of-tree delta.
• Debug kernel panics, oops, deadlocks, memory corruption and use-after-free issues using KASAN, lockdep and crash dumps.
• Implement and tune scheduler, cgroup, cpufreq and cpuidle behaviour for the platform's power and performance targets.
• Extend kernel support for cache coherency, IOMMU, SMMU and virtualisation extensions on new silicon.
• Diagnose and fix kernel performance regressions using perf, ftrace, eBPF and kernel tracepoints.
• Maintain kernel test coverage through kselftest, KUnit and syzkaller fuzzing in CI.
• Advise hardware architects on kernel implications of proposed silicon features before RTL freeze.

Function

Work that keeps the discipline running: methods, tools, suppliers and people.

• Review driver and subsystem patches from colleagues and partners for upstream-quality coding standards.

Project

1. Produce and hand over the role's key deliverables
   • Upstreamed mainline kernel patch series
   • Vendor kernel tree releases and rebases
   • Kernel subsystem and architecture support code
   • Kernel debug and regression analysis reports
   • Kernel test suites and fuzzing configurations
2. Develop the softwareGeneral
   • Design to the hardware specification
   • Write and review the code
   • Test on models, emulation or silicon
3. Release and supportGeneral
   • Package and document releases
   • Fix customer-reported defects

Function

1. Maintain the platformGeneral
   • Keep build, test and release tools working
   • Track toolchain and operating system changes
2. Raise qualityGeneral
   • Run code reviews
   • Extend automated tests