What is kernel-features?

Kernel-features is a collection of proposals for new capabilities that could be added to the Linux kernel. It is not a software project you run but rather a wish list of ideas written by developers who maintain low-level system infrastructure. Each item describes a gap in current kernel functionality and explains how filling it would make system services more robust, secure, or efficient. The ideas focus on problems that surface in real-world system management. For example, when a program like systemd updates a configuration file, it wants to guarantee that either the old or new version is present but never a half-written one. The list proposes a kernel mechanism to make that swap cleaner. Another proposal suggests a way to mount just a sub-directory of a disk without first mounting its parent, which would simplify how per-user encrypted home directories work. Several entries address security, such as a flag to ensure a program only opens a regular file rather than accidentally reading from a device node that could hang or crash it. The people who would benefit most are developers of system-level software: service managers, logging daemons, container runtimes, and security tools. These programs often work around kernel limitations using complex or fragile tricks. For instance, a logging daemon currently races to collect information about a process that logs a message and immediately exits. One proposed feature would let the daemon reliably identify the sender without that race. Another would let service managers safely track processes without fear of recycled process IDs. What stands out about the list is how each idea includes a concrete use case drawn from real software. The author is careful to note that these are rough proposals meant to spark discussion, not implementation demands. The problems described are ones the systemd project has encountered firsthand, which gives the list practical weight. It reads like a field report from the trenches of system programming.