Ask Claude Code to prototype a kernel change

Linus Torvalds had Claude Code help produce a Linux kernel patch, plus tests, review, and a first cover-letter draft.

Done with Claude Code· Advanced

What they did
Torvalds added work on a branch named noref-filemap-read-with-llm in his main kernel repository. The goal is to ease folio-reference pressure during many small reads of one file by altering the page-cache path. In the patch message, he credited Claude Code, under his direction, with writing the implementation, the test programs, the review, and an early cover-letter draft, while he handled the measurements himself.
How it went
Phoronix said the speedup looks meaningful and included a results chart. The code is still only on a branch, and its chances for the Linux 7.4 window are not settled yet.
Tips
A useful pattern is to have the agent inspect the codebase and project rules, then ask for a short plan before any edits. Keep anything that changes the repo or gets submitted on hold until a person reviews it.

Try it yourself with Claude Code

I’m working on [specific area] inside [project/repo path]. Review the relevant source and the project’s contributor instructions, then give me a short plan for improving [specific behavior]. Stop and wait for my approval before editing files. After I approve, make the change, update or add tests, draft a commit message that fits the project’s style, and show me the diff and test output. Do not push, submit, delete, or merge anything until I explicitly authorize that step.

Fill in the [brackets]. Agents can make mistakes, so review anything before it is sent, paid or deleted.

Read the original on phoronix.com ↗

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