Re: RFD: Kernel release numbering

From: Jeff Garzik
Date: Thu Mar 03 2005 - 15:30:01 EST


David S. Miller wrote:
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 14:52:21 -0500
Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


I disagree it's unsolvable:

1) At some point in the -rc cycle, you put your foot down and say "nothing but bugfixes."


Linus actually did, as Andrew showed you, and it was actually followed
quite well.

You keep ignoring this evidence, why?

You can quiet me up about this by showing counter evidence to what
Andrew pointed out to you.

I agree this occurred. I'm not ignoring the evidence, you are ignoring the part you didn't quote -- the key component of the "users don't test" problem.

A user who doesn't follow LKML does not know that Linus put his foot down in 2.6.11-rc3. or 2.6.10-rc2. or 2.6.9-rc1. A user just sees "at some random point, which is never consistent, it becomes bugfixes only."

The lack of consistency is the problem. That is why posters in this thread keep suggesting a -pre/-rc split. That is why posters in this thread talk about "users don't trust -rc to mean -rc."

Marcelo consistently says "-rc means serious bugfixes only" and never deviates from that. And that builds users TRUST.


"putting down your foot" is only half the solution.

The other half is, "users need not follow LKML to know when this occurs."

Jeff


-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/