Re: [PATCH v3] Introduce a description of the Backport and Fixes tags

[Stefano Stabellini <sstabellini@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 20 Apr 2020, Jan Beulich wrote:
> On 18.04.2020 00:24, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
> > +Backport Tag
> > +------------
> > +
> > +A backport tag is an optional tag in the commit message to request a
> > +given commit to be backported to the stable trees:
> > +
> > +    Backport: 4.9+
> > +
> > +It marks a commit for being a candidate for backports to all stable
> > +trees from 4.9 onward.
> 
> Using the wording "stable trees" may, to some, imply ones still
> under maintenance. How about omitting "stable", or replacing it
> by "released"?

OK


> > +The backport requester is expected to specify which currently supported
> > +releases need the backport; but encouraged to specify a release as far
> > +back as possible which applies. If the requester doesn't know the oldest
> > +affected tree, they are encouraged to append a comment like the
> > +following:
> > +
> > +    Backport: 4.9+ # maybe older
> > +
> > +Maintainers request the Backport tag to be added on commit. Contributors
> > +are welcome to mark their patches with the Backport tag when they deem
> > +appropriate. Maintainers will request for it to be removed when that is
> > +not the case.
> > +
> > +Please note that the Backport tag is a **request** for backport, which
> > +will still need to be evaluated by the stable tree maintainers.
> > +Maintainers might ask the requester to help with the backporting work if
> > +it is not trivial.
> > +
> > +When possible, please use the Fixes tag instead.
> 
> Maybe amend with "(or in addition)"? I'm thinking in particular
> about a case where a buggy change was already backported, but
> didn't show up yet in a release from the respective branch(es).

Sure


> Previously I did suggest to add an indication that people requesting
> backports should also be prepare to actually help with backporting.
> I don't recall a verbal reply, and I also don't see any respective
> update here. (I'm not fully trusting our mail system, i.e. it may
> very well be that I did miss a reply.)


I didn't reply, but I added two lines in that regards, see also above:

> > +Maintainers might ask the requester to help with the backporting work if
> > +it is not trivial.