Re: Slow DOWN, please!!!

Frans Pop
2008-05-01T02:52:26Z

Jeff Garzik wrote:
> Paul Mackerras wrote:
>> By the way, if you do want to make that rule, then there's a really
>> easy way to do it - just pull linux-next, and make that one pull be
>> the entire merge window. :)
>
> That's a unique and interesting idea...

Full ack.

Especially if there was some kind of "pre-merge linux-next freeze" where
people (arch maintainers, kernel testers) would be actively invited to do
pre-merge testing.

During that period only changes that fix reported issues (be it build issues
or regressions) would be allowed:
- either a revert of the problematic commit
- or a targeted fix

This could even hugely improve the bisectability of mainline after the merge
as such changes could be merged/rebased into the subsystem tree _before_
Linus pulls them into mainline.

Currently I avoid -next and -mm and I also don't do any merge window
testing. Why? Too much flux, too many issues, too much energy required.
But if there was some sort of pre-merge call for testing of an identifiable
and relatively stable tree, I would definitely participate in that and be
willing to spend time to bisect the hell out of any issues I'd find.

Cheers,
FJP