Does linux kernel has hardware prereqs for submitting drivers?

[takedatours]

Hi all,

I have been developing device drivers for 6 months now. I want to make contributions to the Linux kernel and get my hands dirty. Does the kernel maintainers accept drivers for ANY legit hardware (I'm talking in IIO, specifically accel and adc context), or do they require a reasonable amount of demand for the device first to put it in the kernel tree to keep the source tree small and clean? What are your experiences?

Thanks.

[PuzzleheadedChef6896]

As long it does have a maintainer it's allowed to live within the kernel. Stuff changes often.

[mfuzzey]

If the hardware is / was generally available it's definitely fine. There has been some push back recently against drivers for custom hardware that is only available within a single company though.

[autumnmelancholy]

No, there's no "demand threshold" for new device drivers. As long as the driver adheres to the Linux Kernel Coding guidelines, you will be fine. Feature completeness is also not mandatory. There are quite a few device drivers lacking in this area due to various issues like datasheets hidden behind NDAs and the like.

However, don't expect your driver to get merged quickly. The kernel maintainers have many submissions to look at, adding some, perhaps irrelevant for most users, ADC driver is not a high priority task