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Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:13:47 +0200
From: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
To: Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@leemhuis.info>
Cc: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
	stable@vger.kernel.org, workflows@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v1 2/4] docs: stable-kernel-rules: mention "no
 semi-automatic backport"
Message-ID: <2024041159-undone-deacon-3170@gregkh>
References: <cover.1712812895.git.linux@leemhuis.info>
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 <2024041156-backache-dolly-a420@gregkh>
 <3f395eca-fc24-469b-b5fc-de47ab2a6861@leemhuis.info>
 <2024041123-earthling-primarily-4656@gregkh>
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In-Reply-To: <dad33d1c-77da-4b97-a0ec-4bf566f8d861@leemhuis.info>

On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 09:50:24AM +0200, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> On 11.04.24 09:40, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
> > On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 08:59:39AM +0200, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> >> On 11.04.24 07:29, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
> >>> On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 07:25:04AM +0200, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> >>>> Some developers deliberately steer clear of 'Fixes:' tags to prevent
> >>>> changes from being backported semi-automatically by the stable team.
> >>>> That somewhat undermines the reason for the existence of the Fixes: tag,
> >>>> hence point out there is an alternative to reach the same effect.
> > [...]
> >>> I do not understand, why are you saying "cc: stable" here if you do NOT
> >>> want it backported?
> >> Because the only alternative the developers have to make the stable team
> >> not pick a single patch[1] is to deliberately omit a Fixes: tag even if
> >> the patch normally should have one. Like it was done here:
> >> https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1712226175.git.antony.antony@secunet.com/
> > That feels odd, but ok I now see the need for this for some minor set of
> > changes (i.e. this has rarely come up in the past 15+ years)
> > 
> > [...]
> >> E.g. 'ignore for the AUTOSEL and the "Fixes tag only" tools'. That was
> >> the best term I came up with.
> > 
> > Thinking about it more, I think we need to be much more explicit, and
> > provide the reason why.
> > 
> > How about:
> > 	cc: <do-not-apply-to-stable@kernel.org> # Reason goes here, and must be present
> > 
> > and we can make that address be routed to /dev/null just like
> > <stable@kernel.org> is?
> 
> Totally fine with me, but that feels somewhat long and hard to type.

I want it long and hard to type and very very explicit that this is what
the developer/maintainer wants to have happen (again, because this is
such a rare occurrence.)

> How
> about just 'no-stable@kernel.org' (or 'nostable@kernel.org')?

More words are better :)

thanks,

greg k-h