Re: Reg the next LTS kernel (6.1?)

Slade Watkins
2022-10-07T17:37:51Z

Hi,

This is now at least the third email I've gotten about Rust support in
the kernel. I've been ignoring them, but I'd like to say something now
and leave it at that.

On 10/7/22 at 11:04 AM, Carl Dasantas wrote:
> Please reconsidrer using 6.1 as the next LTS.
>
> 6.0 or 5.19 is much more fitting due to not having Rust support, a
> major change. A lot of the community is hesitant on how Rust will
> work and it would be nice to have a non-Rust capable LTS besides 5.15
> since that is already one year old. Having a more recent non-Rust
> capable LTS would make the transition more smooth as it provides a
> couple years for those of us that are hesitant to see if it goes down
> well or who knows, gets ejected altogether.

The most recent pull request for Rust support was by no means a major
change, it was _only initial support_ for Rust, nothing more than that.
Maybe I'm wrong, but after reading Kees's pull request[1], and reviewing
all the changes (which I also recommend you do, I've dropped a link
below!): it's all minor in the grand scheme of things. It's not changing
much as of me writing this.

Greg, who handles stable releases, doesn't do stable/longterm releases
based on significance, but rather, time. IOW, the yearly LTS kernel is
usually "last kernel of the year." (Greg's words, not mine.) Right now,
that appears to be 6.1 and may or may not stay that way.

I'm truly sorry you (and others, obviously) feel that way about Rust --
I'm not going to weigh in further because I don't have enough experience
with it yet -- but I really don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon.

Thanks,
-srw

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/202210010816.1317F2C@keescook/