Messages in this thread | ![/](/images/icornerl.gif) | | Date | Mon, 26 May 2003 18:35:51 -0300 (BRT) | From | Marcelo Tosatti <> | Subject | Re: Aix7xxx unstable in 2.4.21-rc2? (RE: Linux 2.4.21-rc2) |
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On Mon, 26 May 2003, Willy Tarreau wrote:
> On Mon, May 26, 2003 at 03:42:42PM -0300, Marcelo Tosatti wrote: > > > Splitting up the work with someone is senseless, IMO. As I said before, > > 2.4.22-pre should be better in that aspect. In case it doesnt, I'm giving > > up 2.4.x maintenance. > > Marcelo, > > Reading your words, I have the sad feeling that you take no interest in doing > this job, and that you do it only because people ask you to. What a shame :-( > > Although it sure can be annoying, aren't you proud of each new release ? > Usually, kernel integrators are proud of their new kernels when they get > something rock solid ! People like Con Kolivas, J.A.Magallon, Marc-Christian > Pettersen are often proud to announce us the few bits they changed in their > tree and which stabilized it. It seems you only do this as an obligation, > which is sad, really.
What I said is that if people think I'm not maintaining 2.4.x (quoting Davem, "I really think 2.4.x development is becoming almost non-existent lately.) in a acceptable way, the work should be done by someone else. I WANT to keep maintaining 2.4, but only if people are happy with that. Do you understand ?
> I understand that maintaining the stable tree, the one which MUST NOT FAIL, > may be frustrating, not being as excitant as playing with kernels which try > to get the most of every piece of hardware, as others do (although nobody > prevents you from developing your own Wolk). But you don't seem to share much > about your feelings, ideas or doubts with others. Alan, for example, exchanges > a lot with people testing his kernels, suggesting a few tweaks to help them > workaround their problems, and integrating the tweak in the next release if it > succeeds. This fast feedback allows him to release more often. It also makes > his work more intersting for others.
> People often prefer "here is -rcxx-acxx, which my EPIA now fully > supports" to "here is -rcxx, please test it extensively".
I dont understand what you mean.
> > Perhaps you don't feel assurance when you have to blindly integrate hundreds > of patches from people you don't always trust, and that may explain why you > suddenly announce a new pre-release and keep silent, hoping for patch authors > to reply to questions if any ? If this is the case, jump into the train, > there's no risk, except of being caught by Rik's troll-o-meter, or having Viro > or hch insult you ! And then ? What's the matter ? Every one has his turn. I > even risk it with this OT mail. When you started with 2.4.16, you said that you > were afraid you lacked some skills, but you proved to be very capable, because > the kernel has moved since, and 2.4.21 should be far more stable than 2.4.16 ! > > This mail is not intended to give you any lesson, but to give a feedback from > a Linux 2.4 user who, as many others, feels more and more forgotten by his > maintainer. Unfortunately, what David wrote is what many people currently think > of 2.4 :-( You threatened to give up, but that would be bad for your image > and for Linux. > > Giving up means no maintainer for a certain amount of time, then > a self-proclamed new maintainer (or worse, several ones with a tree fork). > Being replaced is cleaner, since you do the job until the new maintainer is > ready to start. > > If you don't have enough time to do everything, send a source quench, or apply > one of David's proposed solutions : ask for some help so that only subsystems > maintainers feed you as some already do (eg: David, Jeff, Greg), or ask for a > pure replacement. If you're bored, that I could understand, because having to > deal with arrogant and sometimes even selfish users is not always pleasant, > ask for a replacement. If you're fed up with patches that you don't understand, > reject them LOUDLY asking for more documentation. And if you plan to have a > rest for two weeks, say it, so that people don't send you patches that will be > lost in a full mailbox at your return. Yes, this may be what Linus did before > you, when people already complained. But there should be a middle line between > how he managed his kernel and how you manage it, and BTW, Linus clearly stated > that maintaining 2.4 bored him. > > I've just read your mail about -rc[45]. I'm happy we start to see the light at > the end of the 2.4.21 tunnel. As others people, I'm now impatient to both 2.4.21 > and 2.4.22-pre1. BTW, as discussed perhaps a year or two ago, you could have a > preview of 2.4.22-pre1 in parallel with 2.4.21-rc, to feed the impatients, > although that may be double work, which you don't necessarily need at the > moment. > > And remember, please communicate, communicate, communicate. You and only you > know what problem you have at a given time. If you don't communicate, people > always imagine the worst. > > Regards, > Willy > - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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