Re: [PATCH] MAINTAINERS: clarify that "B:" is the URI where to file bugs

From: Jani Nikula
Date: Wed Dec 07 2016 - 03:35:27 EST


On Wed, 07 Dec 2016, "Rafael J. Wysocki" <rjw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Monday, December 05, 2016 02:03:59 PM Jani Nikula wrote:
>> Different subsystems and drivers have different preferences for where to
>> file bugs and what information to include. 686564434e88 ("MAINTAINERS:
>> Add bug tracking system location entry type") added "B:" entry for this.
>>
>> Clarify that "B:" specifies the URI for the bug tracker directly, a web
>> page for detailed info on filing bugs, or a mailto: URI.
>>
>> Fixes: 686564434e88 ("MAINTAINERS: Add bug tracking system location entry type")
>> Cc: Rafael J. Wysocki <rafael.j.wysocki@xxxxxxxxx>
>> Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Signed-off-by: Jani Nikula <jani.nikula@xxxxxxxxx>
>>
>> ---
>>
>> Rafael, I just noticed the "B:" entry popped up in MAINTAINERS from
>> 686564434e88 ("MAINTAINERS: Add bug tracking system location entry
>> type").
>>
>> I've been pushing this for some time now, and I'd sent the last patch
>> adding this before the kernel summit discussion you refer to [1], and
>> Andrew picked it up, along with the rest in the series. This is where
>> the whole idea came from!
>>
>> Specifying "B:" as URI lets subsystems decide whether it contains a bug
>> tracker or something else.
>>
>> [1] http://lkml.kernel.org/r/1476966135-26943-1-git-send-email-jani.nikula@xxxxxxxxx
>
> I didn't realize that this was on the way in, sorry about that.
>
> That said I'm slightly concerned about the last part of the modified
> description below. Namely, if mailing list information is already
> provided (the M: entry), it obviously should be suitable for reporting
> bugs too, so I'm not sure about what the "or a mailto: URI" role is?

The absence of "B:" does not indicate that the mailing list in "M:" is
the preferred way of reporting bugs to the driver/subsystem. I believe
there are plenty of subsystems that don't really care about bugs
reported at https://bugzilla.kernel.org; they could use this to direct
the users to the mailing list. The subsystem could use a *different*
list for reporting bugs. A mailto: URI could even include a preferred
subject prefix, or Cc's [1].

The main point of "B:" is to let the maintainers communicate their
preferred way of receiving bug reports to the users, especially when the
mailing list(s) or https://bugzilla.kernel.org are *not* preferred.

BR,
Jani.

[1] https://tools.ietf.org/rfc/rfc6068.txt


>
>> ---
>> MAINTAINERS | 3 ++-
>> 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
>> index f7fd00ef1323..8f55d44b5b26 100644
>> --- a/MAINTAINERS
>> +++ b/MAINTAINERS
>> @@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ Descriptions of section entries:
>> Q: Patchwork web based patch tracking system site
>> T: SCM tree type and location.
>> Type is one of: git, hg, quilt, stgit, topgit
>> - B: Bug tracking system location.
>> + B: URI for where to file bugs. A web-page with detailed bug
>> + filing info, a direct bug tracker link, or a mailto: URI.
>> S: Status, one of the following:
>> Supported: Someone is actually paid to look after this.
>> Maintained: Someone actually looks after it.
>>
>
> Thanks,
> Rafael
>

--
Jani Nikula, Intel Open Source Technology Center