Re: RFD: Kernel release numbering

Jeff Garzik
2005-03-03T20:00:12Z

Linus Torvalds wrote:
>
> On Thu, 3 Mar 2005, Thomas Gleixner wrote:
>
>>It still does not solve the problem of "untested" releases. Users will
>>still ignore the linus-tree-rcX kernels.
>
>
> .. and maybe that problem is unsolvable. People certainly argued
> vehemently that anything we do to try to make test releases (renaming etc)
> won't help.
>
> So what do you do if you find an unsolvable problem? You don't solve it:
> you make sure it's not a show-stopper.

I disagree it's unsolvable:

1) At some point in the -rc cycle, you put your foot down and say
"nothing but bugfixes."

2) Indicate this foot-stomp in a manner that a script can easily notice.

That's all the 2.4.x's -pre/-rc accomplishes. It encourages people to
test, by telling them when their testing would be most useful.

Jeff