linux-kernel - [patch] Documentation/process/howto: Only send regression fixes after -rc1

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Message-ID: <20161128144315.GA15885@mwanda>
Date:   Mon, 28 Nov 2016 17:43:15 +0300
From:   Dan Carpenter <dan.carpenter@...cle.com>
To:     Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
        Greg KH <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
Cc:     LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Mike Marshall <hubcap@...ibond.com>
Subject: [patch] Documentation/process/howto: Only send regression fixes
 after -rc1

The original text was not clear if white space or other harmless patches
should be merged in -rc kernels.  The discussion at Kernel Summit said
that we should be more strict about sending regression fixes only.

Signed-off-by: Dan Carpenter <dan.carpenter@...cle.com>

diff --git a/Documentation/process/howto.rst b/Documentation/process/howto.rst
index 449ca1f1..1260f60 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/howto.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/howto.rst
@@ -267,15 +267,16 @@ process is as follows:
     is using git (the kernel's source management tool, more information
     can be found at https://git-scm.com/) but plain patches are also just
     fine.
-  - After two weeks a -rc1 kernel is released it is now possible to push
-    only patches that do not include new features that could affect the
-    stability of the whole kernel.  Please note that a whole new driver
-    (or filesystem) might be accepted after -rc1 because there is no
-    risk of causing regressions with such a change as long as the change
-    is self-contained and does not affect areas outside of the code that
-    is being added.  git can be used to send patches to Linus after -rc1
-    is released, but the patches need to also be sent to a public
-    mailing list for review.
+  - After two weeks a -rc1 kernel is released and the focus is on making the
+    new kernel as rock solid as possible.  Most of the patches at this point
+    should fix a regression.  Bugs that have always existed are not
+    regressions, so only push these kinds of fixes if they are important.
+    Please note that a whole new driver (or filesystem) might be accepted
+    after -rc1 because there is no risk of causing regressions with such a
+    change as long as the change is self-contained and does not affect areas
+    outside of the code that is being added.  git can be used to send
+    patches to Linus after -rc1 is released, but the patches need to also be
+    sent to a public mailing list for review.
   - A new -rc is released whenever Linus deems the current git tree to
     be in a reasonably sane state adequate for testing.  The goal is to
     release a new -rc kernel every week.