new dev model (was Re: Default cache_hot_time value back to 10ms)

Andrew Morton wrote:
> Nick Piggin <nickpiggin@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>
>>Any thoughts about making -rc's into -pre's, and doing real -rc's?
> I think what we have is OK.  The idea is that once 2.6.9 is released we
> merge up all the well-tested code which is sitting in various trees and has
> been under test for a few weeks.  As soon as all that well-tested code is
> merged, we go into -rc.  So we're pipelining the development of 2.6.10 code
> with the stabilisation of 2.6.9.
> If someone goes and develops *new* code after the release of, say, 2.6.9
> then tough tittie, it's too late for 2.6.9: we don't want new code - we
> want old-n-tested code.  So your typed-in-after-2.6.9 code goes into
> 2.6.11.
> That's the theory anyway.  If it means that it takes a long time to get

This is damned frustrating :(  Reality is _far_ divorced from what you just
described.

Major developers such as David and Al don't have trees that see wide
testing, their code only sees wide testing once it hits mainline.  See this
message from David,
http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-netdev&m=109648...

In particular, I think David's point about -mm being perceived as overly
experimental is fair.

Recent experience seems to directly counter the assertion that only
well-tested code is landing in mainline, and it's not hard to pick through
the -rc changelogs to find non-trivial, non-bugfix modifications to
existing code.  My own experience with netdev-2.6 bears this out as well:
I have several personal examples of bugs sitting in netdev (and thus -mm)
for quite a while, only being noticed when the code hits mainline.

Linus's assertion that "calling it -rc means developers should calm down"
(implying we should start concentrating on bug fixing rather than more-fun
stuff) is equally fanciful.

Why is it so hard to say "only bugfixes"?

The _reality_ is that there is _no_ point in time where you and Linus allow
for stabilization of the main tree prior to relesae.  The release criteria
has devolved to a point where we call it done when the stack of pancakes
gets too high.

Ground control to Major Tom?

	Jeff


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