Re: [PATCH v2 1/1] docs: submitting-patches: Emphasise the requirement to Cc: stable when using Fixes: tag

[Jani Nikula]

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, Lee Jones <lee.jones@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, Jani Nikula wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, Lee Jones <lee.jones@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> > Clear-up any confusion surrounding the Fixes: tag with regards to the
>> > need to Cc: the stable mailing list when submitting stable patch
>> > candidates.
>> >
>> > Cc: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@xxxxxxx>
>> > Cc: linux-doc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > Signed-off-by: Lee Jones <lee.jones@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> > ---
>> > v2:
>> >  - Link to the 'stable-kernel-rules' document as per Greg's request
>> >
>> >  Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst | 5 +++++
>> >  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
>> >
>> > diff --git a/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst b/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
>> > index 7c97ad580e7d0..7f48cccc75cdf 100644
>> > --- a/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
>> > +++ b/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
>> > @@ -556,6 +556,11 @@ which stable kernel versions should receive your fix. This is the preferred
>> >  method for indicating a bug fixed by the patch. See :ref:`describe_changes`
>> >  for more details.
>> >  
>> > +Note: Attaching a Fixes: tag does not subvert the stable kernel rules
>> > +process nor the requirement to Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on all stable 
>> > +patch candidates. For more information, please read
>> > +:ref:`Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst <stable_kernel_rules>`
>> 
>> Has there been a process change, or should I take it that a Fixes: tag
>> without Cc: stable *may* still end up being backported to stable?
>
> The 'process' has not changed.  Cc:ing the stable mailing list has
> been a requirement for years.  This patch clears up the misconception
> that you (and I ... and many others by all accounts) hold that the
> Fixes: tag is enough.
>
> Fixes: only works when/if Greg and/or Sasha run their magical scripts
> to scan for them.  By them doing so has "perpetuated a myth that this
> was the proper thing to do".  It's not.

I held no misconception here, and we've scripted adding appropriate Cc:
stable for years along with the Fixes: tag.

There's been debate in the past whether commits with *only* Fixes:
should be automatically backported with the magic scripts at all. I
don't mean to reopen that question now, but that was what I was
referring to with the process change.

BR,
Jani.

>
> Greg got fed-up of people asking that same question, so I'm fixing
> that and giving him something to point to and say "RTFD".
>
> Hope that clears things up.

-- 
Jani Nikula, Intel Open Source Graphics Center