Re: Linux 2.6.8-rc1

Linus Torvalds
2004-07-12T16:44:18Z

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004, Adrian Bunk wrote:
>
> The Linux kernel development process isn't that much formalized. But if
> someone finds a serious new problem in a -rc kernel a fix will usually
> go into the next -rc.

Indeed.

The whole _point_ of -rc kernels is to find silly problems.

Trying to have a release mechanism for -rc kernels in order to avoid some
problems in them would kind of defeat the point. The -rc kernels are there
to encourage people who wouldn't want to just take a daily shapshot to
tell us when we break things - and clearly it's working ;)

(There's also a totally nontechnical point to -rc kernels: it's a way to
tell people to calm down a bit. Usually we have a backlog that gets filled
up after a kernel release, and then with the -rc kernels people usually
slow down feeding non-critical stuff to me. At least a bit)

Linus