From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1753130AbbIPQkg (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:40:36 -0400 Received: from imap.thunk.org ([74.207.234.97]:54556 "EHLO imap.thunk.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752406AbbIPQke (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:40:34 -0400 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:40:31 -0400 From: "Theodore Ts'o" To: Eric Curtin Cc: Greg KH , Austin S Hemmelgarn , Steve Calfee , Valentina Manea , shuah.kh@samsung.com, USB list , Kernel development list Subject: Re: First kernel patch (optimization) Message-ID: <20150916164031.GH7394@thunk.org> Mail-Followup-To: Theodore Ts'o , Eric Curtin , Greg KH , Austin S Hemmelgarn , Steve Calfee , Valentina Manea , shuah.kh@samsung.com, USB list , Kernel development list References: <1442346808-3784-1-git-send-email-ericcurtin17@gmail.com> <55F95671.6060405@gmail.com> <20150916132426.GA7420@kroah.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.23 (2014-03-12) X-SA-Exim-Connect-IP: X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: tytso@thunk.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No (on imap.thunk.org); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 05:03:39PM +0100, Eric Curtin wrote: > Hi Greg, > > As I said in the subject of the mail (which I have been since told I > shouldn't have done this), I'm a noob to kernel code. I tried to pick > off something super simple to just see what the process of getting a > patch in is. Youtube videos and documentation only get you so far. > > From reading your response, should I refrain from sending in these > micro-optimizations in future? Getting in smaller patches is easier > for me as I only do this in my spare time, which I don't have a lot > of! What I'd ask you to consider is what your end goal? Is it just to collect a scalp (woo hoo! I've gotten a patch into the kernel)? Or is it to actually make things better for yourself or other users? Or are you trying to get make your self more employable, etc. Micro-optimizations is often not particularly useful for anything other than the first goal, and it really doesn't help anyone. If you're just doing this in your spare time, then hopefully I hope you are being choosy about what's the best way to use your spare time, so the question of what your goals are going to be is a very important thing for you to figure out. Regardless of whether it's worthwhile to get this patch into the kernel, doing any *more* micro-optimizations is probably not a good use of your time or anyone else's. I'd strongly encourage you to move on to something more than just micro-optimizations as quickly as possible. Best regards, - Ted