Re: [GIT PULL] bcachefs

Martin Steigerwald
2023-09-08T07:07:46Z

Hi Kent, hi Linus, hi everyone,

Kent Overstreet - 08.09.23, 01:40:01 CEST:
> The biggest thing has just been the non stop hostility and accusations -
> everything from "fracturing the community" too "ignoring all the rules"
> and my favorite, "is this the hill Kent wants to die on?" - when I'm
> just trying to get work done.

I observed this for a while now, without commenting and found the
following pattern on both "sides" of the story:

Accusing the other one of wrong-doing.

As long as those involved in the merging process continue that pattern
that story of not merging bcachefs most likely will continue. And even if
it gets merged, there would be ongoing conflict about it. Cause I have no
control over how someone else acts. Quite the contrary: The more I expect
and require someone else to change the more resistance I am most likely to
meet. I only can change how I act.

This pattern stops exactly when everyone involved looks at their own part
in this repeated and frustrating "bcachefs is not merged to the mainline
Linux kernel" dance. And from what I observed the failure to merge it is
not caused by a single developer. Neither from you, Kent, neither from
anyone else. It is the combination of the single actions of several
developers and the social interaction between them that caused the failure
to merge it so far. Accusing the other one is giving all the power to
change the situation to someone else.

I am sure merging it will work when everyone involved first looks at
themselves and asks themselves the questions "Have I contributed to make
merging bcachefs difficult and if so how and most importantly how can I act
more constructive about it?". And I mean that for the developers who have
been skeptical about the merge as well as the supportive developers
including Kent. There have been actions on both "sides" that contributed
to delay a merge. I am not going to make a list but leave it to everyone
involved to consider themselves what those were.

For the recent requests of having it GPG signed as well as having it go
through next: I think those requests are reasonable. As far as I read
bcache back then went through next as well. Would it have been nice to
have been told that earlier? Yes. But both of those requests are certainly
not a show-stopper to have bcachefs merged at a later time.

Of course I know I have been asking others to go within and consider their
own behavior in this mail while being perfectly aware that I cannot change
how anyone else acts. However, maybe it is an inspiration to some to
decide for themselves to consider a change.

In the best hopes to see bcachefs being merged to the "official" Linux
kernel soon,
--
Martin