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DateFri, 3 Jan 1997 05:04:26 -0600
FromMichael Elizabeth Chastain <>
SubjectRe: too much untested code in new kernels
Hello Hackers,

Ok, a couple of people have said that it's unrealistic for Linus
to even *compile* all the code that goes into a 2.1.XX release.

I will try to make my points more clearly:

Point 1: Many patches in the 2.1.XX release are being integrated with
zero testing by the person submitting the patch.

As evidence for point (1), I offer:

    2.1.18 modules patch:
	prematurely integrated into kernel.

    2.1.15 drivers/char/pcwd.c:
	looks like it was crunched in a round of patch integration
	and never even compiled by anyone

    2.1.12 sr_ioctl patch
	person who wrote the patch mis-understood the code, broke it
	through his mis-understanding, and never executed his code
	successfully before distributing it

Point 2: This is a problem.

This is a matter of opinion and it's my opinion that this is a problem.
Specifically, it's a problem for me because: I would like to run current
kernels so that I can pursue my own kernel development on them; and I
have lost faith that all new code in the kernel is getting tested by the
people who wrote it before I see it.

I have my own ideas about solutions for this problem but as the
discussion appears to be centering on discussing whether this is a
problem, I'll keep these ideas to myself for now.

Finally I would like to address the argument 'go run 2.0.XX if you want
a stable kernel'.  I don't need a stable kernel.  But I do want a kernel
where ALL code gets tested at least ONCE by the people who write it
BEFORE they hand it to Linus.

Is that asking too much?

Michael Chastain
mec@shout.net
"love without fear"

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