Re: Planned changes for bugzilla.kernel.org to reduce the "Bugzilla blues"

Linus Torvalds
2022-10-02T21:07:51Z

On Sun, Oct 2, 2022 at 1:56 PM Artem S. Tashkinov <aros@gmx.com> wrote:
>
> I just want a bugzilla where I can CC _any_ developer _if_ and _only if_
> they are willing to work within its confounds. That's it.

Guess what that "add develooper to the Cc" is called?

Email.

What you do is fill in the bugzilla entry with all the data you want.

Then you use email to inform people about it.

Put enough data in the email that the developer knows whether it's
even worth looking at the bugzilla entry or not. Don't just put a link
to the bugzilla. Most developers will just go "oh, this looks like
spam"., Put the overview in the email, enough information that the
developer can go "Ahh, this is worth my time", _and_ the link to
bugzilla.

That gives you exactly what you ask for: you can CC _any_ developer.
And it doesn't force the developer to have to go to some bugzilla web
interface unless the developer thinks it actually adds value.

This is *literally* how I end up using bugzilla. As you say, I
actually do end up looking at bugzilla entries in the end, but I only
do it once it has hit my mailbox first, and I have some fairly good
indication that it's worth my time to look at it.

And yes, for some projects and for some developers you can do that
email integration from within bugzilla itself. That's how people reach
me.

But this is exactly the kind of part of bugzilla that is a TOTAL
HORROR-SHOW to manage, and it's impossible to expect every developer
to be somebody that can be listed on bugzilla, without bugzilla
becoming a prime way to send spam.

Which is why in the general case, you really should consider email to
be the "lingua franca" of kernel development communication. It
doesn't have the fundamental limitations and management issues that
bugzilla has. If you want to add more people to the Cc in an email,
you just do it.

Linus