lkml.org 
[lkml]   [1997]   [Jul]   [21]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
SubjectRe: Linux Kernel Bug-list Website
Date
From
Mark Evans <mevans@ecsnet.com> said:
> On Mon, 21 Jul 1997, Horst von Brand wrote:
> > There are bugfixes and random patches at <http://www.linuxhq.com>
> > allready. The Debian crowd has a bug reporting system going for years
> > now. Why do it again, and not just try to link together what is out there?

> I agree, I try to catalog most of the bugfixes and enhancements at
> LinuxHQ. As for using the bug reporting system that Debian uses, here's
> my thoughts on this:

Many thanks for your work on this, BTW.

> Debian, Apache, GNU, etc. are all very controlled development
> environments. They lend themselves to using a centralized tracking
> system. Linux on the other hand has a very open development model. Linus
> utilimately produces the kernel release, but input is taken from many
> sources. I doubt very seriously that most of the kernel developers are
> ready to sign up for a controlled reporting system, it simply isn't how
> Linux development is done (which is one of Linux's strengths in my
> opinion).

Agreed (not that my opinion counts much around here ;-)

> In my opinion, what I've been doing at LinuxHQ is the right thing to do,
> catalog the kernel patches, tracking when one has been included in a
> kernel release or when one is obsolete. This doesn't not impose any
> additional requirements on kernel developers or any kernel hacker.

Yes. But it would also be useful (but more work, I fear...) to set up a way
of commenting on fixes: "Doesn't work here with foo controller bar", ...

> I'm not saying that there isn't room for improvement, but I think trying
> to create a centralized bug tracking system where programmers must adhere
> to certain rules for reporting, testing and fixing bugs isn't the right
> answer either.

What I have in mind (sort of ;-) is something as I say above. At least for
the releases there should be some comment by somebody(ies) in the know:
Like the WARNING for 2.1.44, and similar comments saying most filesystems
_don't_ work for 2.1.4[56], ... Perhaps set up two comment tracks, one for
"regular folks" and one for "maintainers/registered kernel hackers"? Much
of the problems I'd find as a newbie is to find out if the guy/gal posting
(about) a patch is guaranteed clueful or possibly clueless...
--
Dr. Horst H. von Brand mailto:vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl
Departamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239
Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-03-22 13:39    [W:0.032 / U:0.124 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site