Re: [PATCH] (Re: regression tracking (Re: Linux 2.6.21))

[Adrian Bunk <bunk@stusta.de>]

On Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 11:41:36AM +0200, Michal Piotrowski wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Adrian Bunk pisze:
>> On Sat, Jun 16, 2007 at 02:23:25PM +0200, Stefan Richter wrote:
>>> ...
>>> [Adrian, I'm not saying "too few users run -rc kernels", I'm saying "too
>>> few FireWire driver users run -rc kernels".]
>> Getting more people testing -rc kernels might be possible, and I don't 
>> think it would be too hard. And not only FireWire would benefit from this, 
>> remember e.g. that at least 2 out of the last 5 kernels Linus released 
>> contained filesystem corruption regressions.
>> The problem is that we aren't able to handle the many regression reports 
>> we get today, so asking for more testing and regression reports today 
>> would attack it at the wrong part of the chain.
>> Additionally, every reported and unhandled regression will frustrate the 
>> reporter - never forget that we have _many_ unhandled bug reports 
>> (including but not limited to regression reports) where the submitter 
>> spent much time and energy in writing a good bug report.
>> If we somehow gain the missing manpower for debugging regressions we can 
>> actively ask for more testing. Missing manpower (of people knowing some 
>> part of the kernel well) for debugging bug reports is IMHO the one big 
>> source of quality problems in the Linux kernel. If we get this solved, 
>> things like getting more testers for -rc kernels will become low hanging 
>> fruits.
>
> Adrian, I agree with _all_ your points.
>
> I bet that developers will hate me for this.
>
> Please consider for 2.6.23

Fine with me, but:

There are not so simple cases like big infrastructure patches with
20 other patches in the tree depending on it causing a regression, or 
even worse, a big infrastructure patch exposing a latent old bug in some 
completely different area of the kernel.

And we should be aware that reverting is only a workaround for the real 
problem which lies in our bug handling.

> Regards,
> Michal
>...

cu
Adrian

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed