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1 | .. _stable_kernel_rules: |
2 | ||
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3 | Everything you ever wanted to know about Linux -stable releases |
4 | =============================================================== | |
fc185d95 | 5 | |
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6 | Rules on what kind of patches are accepted, and which ones are not, into the |
7 | "-stable" tree: | |
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8 | |
9 | - It must be obviously correct and tested. | |
84eb8d06 | 10 | - It cannot be bigger than 100 lines, with context. |
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11 | - It must fix only one thing. |
12 | - It must fix a real bug that bothers people (not a, "This could be a | |
e48e9909 | 13 | problem..." type thing). |
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14 | - It must fix a problem that causes a build error (but not for things |
15 | marked CONFIG_BROKEN), an oops, a hang, data corruption, a real | |
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16 | security issue, or some "oh, that's not good" issue. In short, something |
17 | critical. | |
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18 | - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also |
19 | be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue. | |
20 | As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle | |
21 | regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel | |
22 | maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it | |
23 | exists and additional information on the user-visible impact. | |
79cd80a1 | 24 | - New device IDs and quirks are also accepted. |
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25 | - No "theoretical race condition" issues, unless an explanation of how the |
26 | race can be exploited is also provided. | |
84eb8d06 | 27 | - It cannot contain any "trivial" fixes in it (spelling changes, |
e48e9909 | 28 | whitespace cleanups, etc). |
dca22a63 | 29 | - It must follow the |
8c27ceff | 30 | :ref:`Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst <submittingpatches>` |
dca22a63 | 31 | rules. |
959fb1c5 | 32 | - It or an equivalent fix must already exist in Linus' tree (upstream). |
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33 | |
34 | ||
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35 | Procedure for submitting patches to the -stable tree |
36 | ---------------------------------------------------- | |
fc185d95 | 37 | |
b76fc285 DC |
38 | - If the patch covers files in net/ or drivers/net please follow netdev stable |
39 | submission guidelines as described in | |
287f4fa9 | 40 | :ref:`Documentation/networking/netdev-FAQ.rst <netdev-FAQ>` |
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41 | after first checking the stable networking queue at |
42 | https://patchwork.ozlabs.org/bundle/davem/stable/?series=&submitter=&state=*&q=&archive= | |
43 | to ensure the requested patch is not already queued up. | |
5de61e7a | 44 | - Security patches should not be handled (solely) by the -stable review |
dca22a63 | 45 | process but should follow the procedures in |
8c27ceff | 46 | :ref:`Documentation/admin-guide/security-bugs.rst <securitybugs>`. |
5de61e7a | 47 | |
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48 | For all other submissions, choose one of the following procedures |
49 | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | |
5de61e7a | 50 | |
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51 | .. _option_1: |
52 | ||
53 | Option 1 | |
54 | ******** | |
55 | ||
56 | To have the patch automatically included in the stable tree, add the tag | |
57 | ||
58 | .. code-block:: none | |
5de61e7a | 59 | |
5fa22429 | 60 | Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org |
5de61e7a | 61 | |
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62 | in the sign-off area. Once the patch is merged it will be applied to |
63 | the stable tree without anything else needing to be done by the author | |
64 | or subsystem maintainer. | |
65 | ||
66 | .. _option_2: | |
5de61e7a | 67 | |
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68 | Option 2 |
69 | ******** | |
5de61e7a | 70 | |
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71 | After the patch has been merged to Linus' tree, send an email to |
72 | stable@vger.kernel.org containing the subject of the patch, the commit ID, | |
73 | why you think it should be applied, and what kernel version you wish it to | |
74 | be applied to. | |
5de61e7a | 75 | |
5fe270a4 | 76 | .. _option_3: |
5de61e7a | 77 | |
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78 | Option 3 |
79 | ******** | |
bde1b294 | 80 | |
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81 | Send the patch, after verifying that it follows the above rules, to |
82 | stable@vger.kernel.org. You must note the upstream commit ID in the | |
83 | changelog of your submission, as well as the kernel version you wish | |
84 | it to be applied to. | |
85 | ||
86 | :ref:`option_1` is **strongly** preferred, is the easiest and most common. | |
87 | :ref:`option_2` and :ref:`option_3` are more useful if the patch isn't deemed | |
88 | worthy at the time it is applied to a public git tree (for instance, because | |
89 | it deserves more regression testing first). :ref:`option_3` is especially | |
90 | useful if the patch needs some special handling to apply to an older kernel | |
91 | (e.g., if API's have changed in the meantime). | |
92 | ||
93 | Note that for :ref:`option_3`, if the patch deviates from the original | |
94 | upstream patch (for example because it had to be backported) this must be very | |
95 | clearly documented and justified in the patch description. | |
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96 | |
97 | The upstream commit ID must be specified with a separate line above the commit | |
98 | text, like this: | |
99 | ||
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100 | .. code-block:: none |
101 | ||
bde1b294 | 102 | commit <sha1> upstream. |
5de61e7a | 103 | |
b04c11c9 FV |
104 | Additionally, some patches submitted via :ref:`option_1` may have additional |
105 | patch prerequisites which can be cherry-picked. This can be specified in the | |
106 | following format in the sign-off area: | |
8e9b9362 | 107 | |
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108 | .. code-block:: none |
109 | ||
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110 | Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.3.x: a1f84a3: sched: Check for idle |
111 | Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.3.x: 1b9508f: sched: Rate-limit newidle | |
112 | Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.3.x: fd21073: sched: Fix affinity logic | |
113 | Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.3.x | |
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114 | Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu> |
115 | ||
116 | The tag sequence has the meaning of: | |
117 | ||
118 | .. code-block:: none | |
8e9b9362 | 119 | |
8e9b9362 SAS |
120 | git cherry-pick a1f84a3 |
121 | git cherry-pick 1b9508f | |
122 | git cherry-pick fd21073 | |
123 | git cherry-pick <this commit> | |
124 | ||
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125 | Also, some patches may have kernel version prerequisites. This can be |
126 | specified in the following format in the sign-off area: | |
127 | ||
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128 | .. code-block:: none |
129 | ||
cf903e9d | 130 | Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.3.x |
fdc81b79 | 131 | |
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132 | The tag has the meaning of: |
133 | ||
134 | .. code-block:: none | |
135 | ||
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136 | git cherry-pick <this commit> |
137 | ||
5fe270a4 | 138 | For each "-stable" tree starting with the specified version. |
fdc81b79 | 139 | |
5de61e7a BN |
140 | Following the submission: |
141 | ||
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142 | - The sender will receive an ACK when the patch has been accepted into the |
143 | queue, or a NAK if the patch is rejected. This response might take a few | |
144 | days, according to the developer's schedules. | |
145 | - If accepted, the patch will be added to the -stable queue, for review by | |
46cdf871 | 146 | other developers and by the relevant subsystem maintainer. |
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147 | |
148 | ||
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149 | Review cycle |
150 | ------------ | |
fc185d95 | 151 | |
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152 | - When the -stable maintainers decide for a review cycle, the patches will be |
153 | sent to the review committee, and the maintainer of the affected area of | |
154 | the patch (unless the submitter is the maintainer of the area) and CC: to | |
155 | the linux-kernel mailing list. | |
156 | - The review committee has 48 hours in which to ACK or NAK the patch. | |
fc185d95 | 157 | - If the patch is rejected by a member of the committee, or linux-kernel |
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158 | members object to the patch, bringing up issues that the maintainers and |
159 | members did not realize, the patch will be dropped from the queue. | |
160 | - At the end of the review cycle, the ACKed patches will be added to the | |
161 | latest -stable release, and a new -stable release will happen. | |
162 | - Security patches will be accepted into the -stable tree directly from the | |
163 | security kernel team, and not go through the normal review cycle. | |
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164 | Contact the kernel security team for more details on this procedure. |
165 | ||
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166 | Trees |
167 | ----- | |
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168 | |
169 | - The queues of patches, for both completed versions and in progress | |
170 | versions can be found at: | |
5fe270a4 | 171 | |
c1aa3871 | 172 | https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git |
5fe270a4 | 173 | |
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174 | - The finalized and tagged releases of all stable kernels can be found |
175 | in separate branches per version at: | |
5fe270a4 | 176 | |
c1aa3871 | 177 | https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git |
2584f521 | 178 | |
fc185d95 | 179 | |
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180 | Review committee |
181 | ---------------- | |
fc185d95 | 182 | |
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183 | - This is made up of a number of kernel developers who have volunteered for |
184 | this task, and a few that haven't. |