linux-kernel - Re: [Ksummit-discuss] bug-introducing patches

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Date:   Thu, 3 May 2018 05:03:29 -0700
From:   Greg KH <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
To:     Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
Cc:     "Theodore Y. Ts'o" <tytso@....edu>,
        Mark Brown <broonie@...nel.org>,
        Sasha Levin <Alexander.Levin@...rosoft.com>,
        Daniel Vetter <daniel.vetter@...ll.ch>,
        "ksummit-discuss@...ts.linuxfoundation.org" 
        <ksummit-discuss@...ts.linuxfoundation.org>, "w@....eu" <w@....eu>,
        "julia.lawall@...6.fr" <julia.lawall@...6.fr>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [Ksummit-discuss] bug-introducing patches

On Wed, May 02, 2018 at 08:52:29PM -0700, Guenter Roeck wrote:
> On 05/02/2018 08:10 PM, Theodore Y. Ts'o wrote:
> > On Thu, May 03, 2018 at 11:05:50AM +0900, Mark Brown wrote:
> > > On Wed, May 02, 2018 at 07:46:34PM +0000, Sasha Levin wrote:
> > > 
> > > > As you said, the regression should be fixed "asap", not "immediately".
> > > > It should go through some sort of review and testing the maintainers are
> > > > happy with, but unfourtenately it doesn't happen now.
> > > 
> > > Doesn't happen some of the time.  It's not like this is a universal
> > > problem.
> > > 
> > > Especially for driver specific things there's at times no realistic
> > > prospect of getting useful independent review of fixes, the hardware
> > > isn't always widely available and if the fix isn't a pure software thing
> > > at some point you just have to trust the judgement of the vendor.
> > 
> > And sometimes the Demon Murphy will cause a regression fix for user A,
> > to cause breakage for slightly different hardware belonging to user B.  :-(
> > 
> 
> Believe me, I get my share of those. 7dac4a1726a9 ("ext4: add validity checks
> for bitmap block numbers") and its fix 22be37acce25 (" ext4: fix bitmap
> position validation") are pretty good examples. Yet, at the same time I had
> to deal with three additional CVEs in the ext4 code. Even though the initial
> fix for one of the four was buggy, I am glad that I got the other three through
> stable releases.
> 
> As for -next, me and others stopped reporting bugs in it, because when we do
> we tend to get flamed for the "noise". Is anyone aware (or cares) that mips
> and nds32 images don't build ? Soaking clothes in an empty bathtub won't make
> them wet, and bugs in code which no one builds, much less tests or uses, won't
> be found.
> 
> I can only repeat - what we need is more sophisticated testing, not a more
> restrictive process.

I agree, and people are working on this.  But we can always use more!

thanks,

greg k-h