linux-kernel - Re: Linux 2.6.21

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Message-ID: <20070427194605.GV3468@stusta.de>
Date:	Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:46:05 +0200
From:	Adrian Bunk <bunk@...sta.de>
To:	Theodore Tso <tytso@....edu>, Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Linux 2.6.21

On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 12:31:43PM -0400, Theodore Tso wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 04:58:05PM +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> > "no regressions" is definitely not feasible.
> > 
> > 14 known regressions, some of them not yet debugged at all, are 
> > different from your "some small regression".
> 
> Yes, but when were some of these regressions reported?  Past a certain
> point, I think it's reasonable to look at the regression, decide how
> many people would be affected by it, and why it hadn't been noticed
> earlier, and in some cases, decide that it's better to get this
> debugged and fixed in the stable and development trees in parallel.

8 of them have been reported in March or earlier. [1]

Patches for 2 of these 8 were available at the time of the release. [2]
While the question whether to merge one of them into 2.6.21 was 
controversial, the other one was not controversial.

For one of the bugs, it became obvious when someone looked at it after 
the release of 2.6.21 that between the bug report on March 31th and the 
release of 2.6.21 on April 21th, noone started debugging this bug. [3] [4]

> > And look e.g. at the many (and non-trivial) changes between -rc7 and 
> > -final, resulting in more than one report from people who were running 
> > -rc7 without problems - and 2.6.21 doesn't work for them.
> 
> I agree that's unfortunate.
> 
> > It's not a choice between "regressions don't matter" and "no regressions",
> > it's about the place in the area between these two extremes. I have my 
> > opinions on what I want to expect from a stable Linux kernel, and other 
> > people have different opinins.
> 
> Everyone is going to disagree to some extent; and their own comfort
> zone.  So a certain amount compromise is always going to be necessary.
> Of course, it's up to you decide whether this has gone beyond the zone
> where you aren't comfortable working with other people's development
> style.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 					- Ted

cu
Adrian

[1] http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/4/26/2
[2] http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/4/25/496
[3] http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/4/26/496
[4] and although it turned out this specific regression was already 
    fixed in 2.6.21, I hope you get my point

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed

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