Re: [PATCH] stable_kernel_rules.txt: Exclude networking from stablerules
From: Joe Perches
Date: Thu Sep 19 2013 - 17:45:40 EST
On Thu, 2013-09-19 at 23:32 +0200, Francois Romieu wrote:
> Joe Perches <joe@xxxxxxxxxxx> :
> [...]
> > diff --git a/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt b/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt
> > index b0714d8..a2d6da0 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt
> > +++ b/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt
> > @@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ Rules on what kind of patches are accepted, and which ones are not, into the
> >
> > Procedure for submitting patches to the -stable tree:
> >
> > + - The networking tree (net/ and drivers/net/) is 'special' and doesn't
> > + follow the rules below. Don't send or cc: patches for the -stable tree to
> > + stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Don't mark them stable. Just send the patches to
> > + netdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and let the networking maintainer decide what to do
> > + with them.
>
> David said "simply ask me to queue them up for -stable explicitly".
>
> He did not say "send the patches and let me decide what to do with them".
>
David selects them regardless.
from Documentation/networking/netdev-FAQ.txt:
Q: How can I tell what patches are queued up for backporting to the
various stable releases?
A: Normally Greg Kroah-Hartman collects stable commits himself, but
for networking, Dave collects up patches he deems critical for the
networking subsystem, and then hands them off to Greg.
There is a patchworks queue that you can see here:
http://patchwork.ozlabs.org/bundle/davem/stable/?state=*
It contains the patches which Dave has selected, but not yet handed
off to Greg. If Greg already has the patch, then it will be here:
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git
A quick way to find whether the patch is in this stable-queue is
to simply clone the repo, and then git grep the mainline commit ID, e.g.
stable-queue$ git grep -l 284041ef21fdf2e
releases/3.0.84/ipv6-fix-possible-crashes-in-ip6_cork_release.patch
releases/3.4.51/ipv6-fix-possible-crashes-in-ip6_cork_release.patch
releases/3.9.8/ipv6-fix-possible-crashes-in-ip6_cork_release.patch
stable/stable-queue$
Q: I see a network patch and I think it should be backported to stable.
Should I request it via "stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" like the references in
the kernel's Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt file say?
A: No, not for networking. Check the stable queues as per above 1st to see
if it is already queued. If not, then send a mail to netdev, listing
the upstream commit ID and why you think it should be a stable candidate.
Before you jump to go do the above, do note that the normal stable rules
in Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt still apply. So you need to
explicitly indicate why it is a critical fix and exactly what users are
impacted. In addition, you need to convince yourself that you _really_
think it has been overlooked, vs. having been considered and rejected.
Generally speaking, the longer it has had a chance to "soak" in mainline,
the better the odds that it is an OK candidate for stable. So scrambling
to request a commit be added the day after it appears should be avoided.
Q: I have created a network patch and I think it should be backported to
stable. Should I add a "Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" like the references
in the kernel's Documentation/ directory say?
A: No. See above answer. In short, if you think it really belongs in
stable, then ensure you write a decent commit log that describes who
gets impacted by the bugfix and how it manifests itself, and when the
bug was introduced. If you do that properly, then the commit will
get handled appropriately and most likely get put in the patchworks
stable queue if it really warrants it.
If you think there is some valid information relating to it being in
stable that does _not_ belong in the commit log, then use the three
dash marker line as described in Documentation/SubmittingPatches to
temporarily embed that information into the patch that you send.
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