linux-kernel - Re: [RFC] List of maintainers (draft #3)

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Message-ID: <48D7CA62.1020805@zytor.com>
Date:	Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:40:02 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Pekka Enberg <penberg@...helsinki.fi>
CC:	Ben Dooks <ben-linux@...ff.org>,
	Uwe Kleine-K?nig <ukleinek@...len.de>,
	Denis Vlasenko <vda@...t.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC] List of maintainers (draft #3)

Pekka Enberg wrote:
> 
> Figuring out whom to send a patch to is not something you can automate
> because it not only depends on what you're changing but *how* you're
> changing it. The classic case being that whenever you change something
> related to RCU that's non-trivial, you almost certainly want to CC
> Paul "RCU" McKenney. But there's no *file* or *directory* pattern that
> can automatically tell you this.
> 
> Furthermore, if you're hacking on a specific part of the kernel, you
> almost certainly are doing it wrong if you don't know who the relevant
> maintainers are. For simple janitorial patches, you probably should
> just work out the *top-level* maintainers (davem for networking, ingo
> et al for x86, and so on) and send the patches to them. And when these
> simple rules fail you, fall back to patch bombing Andrew.
> 

This is, of course, true; however, there are people who should *always* 
be included when touching specific files, and this *can* be automated. 
This is particularly so when sending out cross-architectural patchsets.

So no, automation isn't a substitute for intelligence, but that doesn't 
mean that it can't be an *assistance*.

We need this.  Right now too many people screw up even the part that 
*can* be automated.

	-hpa
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