re: Kernel Releases

[Dan Kegel <dank@kegel.com>]

David Relson <relson@osagesoftware.com> wrote:
> With the recent problems, the working 
> versions tend to be the -pre1 or -pre2 releases, not the released 
> one.  With a bit of QA, I think we can have 2.4.x releases be the stable 
> releases.  Here's how...
> 
> When the kernel maintainer, now Marcelo for 2.4, is ready to release the 
> next kernel, for example 2.4.16, I suggest he switch from "pre?" to "-rc1" 
> (as in release candidate).  A day or two with -rc1 will quickly show if it 
> has a show stopper.  If so, then the minor fixes (and nothing else) go into 
> -rc2.  A day or two ..., and either -rc3 appears or we have a stable 
> release and 2.4.16 is ready to be released.
> 
> Let's go the extra distance and have the releases be usable, stable 
> kernels!  It's what users want and it's within the abilities of the 
> developers to produce.  Let's do it :-)

Hear, hear!  

Also, Marcelo should get in touch with the nice folks at stp@osdlab.org
and find out what sort of regression tests they will be running on
his kernels.  Perhaps he can wait for their feedback on the -rcX
kernels before declaring them final.  (Not that they would have
found the 2.4.15 problem with their current tests, but they'll
catch a few things.)

- Dan