Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1757741Ab0ANWlI (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:41:08 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1757731Ab0ANWlE (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:41:04 -0500 Received: from einhorn.in-berlin.de ([192.109.42.8]:43521 "EHLO einhorn.in-berlin.de" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1757721Ab0ANWk7 (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:40:59 -0500 X-Envelope-From: stefanr@s5r6.in-berlin.de Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:39:46 +0100 (CET) From: Stefan Richter Subject: [PATCH] HOWTO: Updates on subsystem trees, patchwork, -next (vs. -mm) To: Randy Dunlap , Greg Kroah-Hartman cc: Joe Perches , Andrew Morton , Alan Cox , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: <4B4F7304.5050401@s5r6.in-berlin.de> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=us-ascii Content-Disposition: INLINE Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 7691 Lines: 170 One of the roles which -mm fulfilled some time ago (to offer an integration testing ground) has been taken over by -next. This is still news to Documentation/HOWTO, so mention it there. Also add a word on how patchwork is used to track patches as they make their way into subsystem trees. Remove some arbitrary links to subsystem repositories; they can all be found in the MAINTAINERS database. Signed-off-by: Stefan Richter --- This supersedes [PATCH] HOWTO: Point to patchwork.kernel.org and patchwork.ozlabs.org Documentation/HOWTO | 112 ++++++++++++++++----------------------------------- 1 files changed, 35 insertions(+), 77 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/HOWTO b/Documentation/HOWTO index 8495fc9..085d281 100644 --- a/Documentation/HOWTO +++ b/Documentation/HOWTO @@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ branches. These different branches are: - main 2.6.x kernel tree - 2.6.x.y -stable kernel tree - 2.6.x -git kernel patches - - 2.6.x -mm kernel patches - subsystem specific kernel trees and patches + - the 2.6.x -next kernel tree for integration tests 2.6.x kernel tree ----------------- @@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ process is as follows: - As soon as a new kernel is released a two weeks window is open, during this period of time maintainers can submit big diffs to Linus, usually the patches that have already been included in the - -mm kernel for a few weeks. The preferred way to submit big changes + -next kernel for a few weeks. The preferred way to submit big changes is using git (the kernel's source management tool, more information can be found at http://git.or.cz/) but plain patches are also just fine. @@ -293,84 +293,42 @@ daily and represent the current state of Linus' tree. They are more experimental than -rc kernels since they are generated automatically without even a cursory glance to see if they are sane. -2.6.x -mm kernel patches ------------------------- -These are experimental kernel patches released by Andrew Morton. Andrew -takes all of the different subsystem kernel trees and patches and mushes -them together, along with a lot of patches that have been plucked from -the linux-kernel mailing list. This tree serves as a proving ground for -new features and patches. Once a patch has proved its worth in -mm for -a while Andrew or the subsystem maintainer pushes it on to Linus for -inclusion in mainline. - -It is heavily encouraged that all new patches get tested in the -mm tree -before they are sent to Linus for inclusion in the main kernel tree. Code -which does not make an appearance in -mm before the opening of the merge -window will prove hard to merge into the mainline. - -These kernels are not appropriate for use on systems that are supposed -to be stable and they are more risky to run than any of the other -branches. - -If you wish to help out with the kernel development process, please test -and use these kernel releases and provide feedback to the linux-kernel -mailing list if you have any problems, and if everything works properly. - -In addition to all the other experimental patches, these kernels usually -also contain any changes in the mainline -git kernels available at the -time of release. - -The -mm kernels are not released on a fixed schedule, but usually a few --mm kernels are released in between each -rc kernel (1 to 3 is common). - Subsystem Specific kernel trees and patches ------------------------------------------- -A number of the different kernel subsystem developers expose their -development trees so that others can see what is happening in the -different areas of the kernel. These trees are pulled into the -mm -kernel releases as described above. - -Here is a list of some of the different kernel trees available: - git trees: - - Kbuild development tree, Sam Ravnborg - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/sam/kbuild.git - - - ACPI development tree, Len Brown - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/lenb/linux-acpi-2.6.git - - - Block development tree, Jens Axboe - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/axboe/linux-2.6-block.git - - - DRM development tree, Dave Airlie - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/airlied/drm-2.6.git - - - ia64 development tree, Tony Luck - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/aegl/linux-2.6.git - - - infiniband, Roland Dreier - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/roland/infiniband.git - - - libata, Jeff Garzik - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jgarzik/libata-dev.git - - - network drivers, Jeff Garzik - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jgarzik/netdev-2.6.git - - - pcmcia, Dominik Brodowski - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/brodo/pcmcia-2.6.git - - - SCSI, James Bottomley - git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jejb/scsi-misc-2.6.git - - - x86, Ingo Molnar - git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/x86/linux-2.6-x86.git - - quilt trees: - - USB, Driver Core, and I2C, Greg Kroah-Hartman - kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/gregkh/gregkh-2.6/ +The maintainers of the various kernel subsystems --- and also many +kernel subsystem developers --- expose their current state of +development in source repositories. That way, others can see what is +happening in the different areas of the kernel. In areas where +development is rapid, a developer may be asked to base his submissions +onto such a subsystem kernel tree so that conflicts between the +submission and other already ongoing work are avoided. + +Most of these repositories are git trees, but there are also other SCMs +in use, or patch queues being published as quilt series. Addresses of +these subsystem repositories are listed in the MAINTAINERS file. + +Before a proposed patch is committed to such a subsystem tree, it is +subject to review which primarily happens on the on mailing lists (see +the respective section below). For several kernel subsystems, this +submission and review process is tracked with the tool patchwork. +Patchwork offers a web interface which shows patch postings, any +comments on a patch or revisions to it, and maintainers can mark patches +as under review, accepted, or rejected. Most of these patchwork sites +are listed at http://patchwork.kernel.org/ or http://patchwork.ozlabs.org/. + +2.6.x -next kernel tree for integration tests +--------------------------------------------- +Before updates from subsystem trees are merged into the mainline 2.6.x +tree, they need to be integration-tested. For this purpose, a special +testing repository exists into which virtually all subsystem trees are +pulled on an almost daily basis: + http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/sfr/linux-next.git + http://linux.f-seidel.de/linux-next/pmwiki/ + +This way, the -next kernel gives a summary outlook onto what will be +expected to go into the mainline kernel at the next merge period. +Adventurous testers are very welcome to runtime-test the -next kernel. - Other kernel trees can be found listed at http://git.kernel.org/ and in - the MAINTAINERS file. Bug Reporting ------------- -- Stefan Richter -=====-==-=- ---= -===- http://arcgraph.de/sr/ -- 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/