Re: [PATCH] MAINTAINERS: name the libata/linux for-next branch

[Niklas Cassel <cassel@kernel.org>]

Hello Matthias,

On Thu, Sep 24, 2026 at 11:35:45AM +0800, Matthias Goergens wrote:
> The T: entry for LIBATA SUBSYSTEM (Serial and Parallel ATA drivers)
> names libata/linux without a branch.  The repository's HEAD (master,
> 8d3ae59288f1) is a commit from 2026-08-16 that mainline already
> contains.  linux-next pulls for-next from this repository (Next/Trees,
> next-20260923), and on 2026-09-24 that branch carried work not yet in
> mainline.  Name the branch so the entry identifies where development
> happens.

I think this could have been written simpler, without references to dates.
Something like:
"
The T: entry for LIBATA SUBSYSTEM (Serial and Parallel ATA drivers)
names libata/linux without a branch. The repository's HEAD pointer
points to branch master, which has no active development.
Active development is on the for-next branch. Name the branch so the
entry identifies where development happens.
"

That said, if you are only sending a patch for libata, I don't see why we
should pick this up.

If I look at some entries for other trees (block, scsi, nvme):

T:      git git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/axboe/linux.git
T:      git git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mkp/scsi.git
T:      git git://git.infradead.org/nvme.git


$ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/block/HEAD
refs/remotes/block/master

$ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/scsi/HEAD
refs/remotes/scsi/master

$ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/nvme/HEAD
refs/remotes/nvme/master

They all point to branch master, which is a copy of Linus's master branch
(often some really copy too).

My point is that, only changing libata seems to make things more inconsistent.

Send a series to Jens fixing all of them, and I would give my Acked-by,
so that he can pick up the patch.


But in reality, if you want to clean things up, why limit it to these three?

Write a script that clones all trees, compares HEAD against what is
is Linux Next (Next/Trees file). If it diverges, add the branch name to
the tree entry in MAINTAINERS.


> 
> Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst sends contributors to the
> T: entry to find the tree to prepare patches against, so a branch-less
> entry whose HEAD is already in mainline points them at the wrong tree.

s/points them to the wrong tree/points them to the wrong branch/


Kind regards,
Niklas