How is the kernel developed?

From: hzmonte (hzmonte_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 03/15/04 

Date: 15 Mar 2004 05:38:42 -0800

Let's say I have developed a feature, do I post it on my web page so
that others can download, and also send a copy to Mr Linus Travold?
What if Red Hat developd one? Would they then include it in their
distribution as a "patch" to the kernel until it is formally
incorporated in the kernel? Does each vendor (e.g. Mandrake, SuSE)
maintain a database (for the public) as to what "patches" they add to
the kernel?
I read that Red Hat backported some 2.6 kernel stuff into their 2.4.
Does that mean they backported that into their distribution based on
2.4 kernel? How can I tell whether my Red Hat distribution is
backported?
Could the FAQ maintainer include some info on this topic (i.e. the
process the kernel is developed) in the FAQ?

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