linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v1 2/4] docs: stable-kernel-rules: mention "no semi-automatic backport"

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Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 08:59:39 +0200
From: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
To: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
Cc: Sasha Levin <sashal@...nel.org>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
 stable@...r.kernel.org, workflows@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-doc@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v1 2/4] docs: stable-kernel-rules: mention "no
 semi-automatic backport"

On 11.04.24 07:29, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 07:25:04AM +0200, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
>> Some developers deliberately steer clear of 'Fixes:' tags to prevent
>> changes from being backported semi-automatically by the stable team.
>> That somewhat undermines the reason for the existence of the Fixes: tag,
>> hence point out there is an alternative to reach the same effect.
>>
>> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/dfd87673-c581-4b4b-b37a-1cf5c817240d@leemhuis.info/
>> Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
>> ---
>>  Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst | 6 ++++++
>>  1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst b/Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
>> index 7bb16d42a51833..ebd57cb9277f7b 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
>> +++ b/Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
>> @@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ comment to pass arbitrary or predefined notes:
>>     Note, such tagging is unnecessary if the stable team can derive the
>>     appropriate versions from Fixes: tags.
>>  
>> + * Prevent semi-automatic backporting of changes carrying a 'Fixes:' tag:
>> +
>> +   .. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +     Cc: <stable@...r.kernel.org> # no semi-automatic backport
> 
> I do not understand, why are you saying "cc: stable" here if you do NOT
> want it backported?

Because the only alternative the developers have to make the stable team
not pick a single patch[1] is to deliberately omit a Fixes: tag even if
the patch normally should have one. Like it was done here:
https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1712226175.git.antony.antony@secunet.com/

And that somehow felt wrong to me, as discussed earlier in
https://lore.kernel.org/all/dfd87673-c581-4b4b-b37a-1cf5c817240d@leemhuis.info/

[1] e.g. if they don't have or want their whole subsystem marked as
'ignore for the AUTOSEL and the "Fixes tag only" tools'
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git/tree/ignore_list

> And what do you mean by "semi-automatic"?

E.g. 'ignore for the AUTOSEL and the "Fixes tag only" tools'. That was
the best term I came up with.

Ciao, Thorsten