From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=3.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,FREEMAIL_FORGED_FROMDOMAIN,FREEMAIL_FROM, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,SPF_PASS,URIBL_BLOCKED autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.0 Received: from mail.kernel.org (mail.kernel.org [198.145.29.99]) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4C174C433F5 for ; Sat, 25 Aug 2018 01:29:39 +0000 (UTC) Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [209.132.180.67]) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DC64821581 for ; Sat, 25 Aug 2018 01:29:38 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="NwyFPh3R" DMARC-Filter: OpenDMARC Filter v1.3.2 mail.kernel.org DC64821581 Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; dmarc=fail (p=none dis=none) header.from=gmail.com Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; spf=none smtp.mailfrom=linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1726630AbeHYFGi (ORCPT ); Sat, 25 Aug 2018 01:06:38 -0400 Received: from mail-io0-f196.google.com ([209.85.223.196]:39509 "EHLO mail-io0-f196.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1725958AbeHYFGi (ORCPT ); Sat, 25 Aug 2018 01:06:38 -0400 Received: by mail-io0-f196.google.com with SMTP id l7-v6so8573733iok.6 for ; Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:29:34 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=GLYFUksMrLJJl8xdEo5zQsPHTOFGj4tqAV7rw+tNSas=; b=NwyFPh3ROuhZvVO+g58uvaf/72vVb7uuECuPdZrKYsAXMu0tIbWxUvn4duLpwjA2S/ pr6nA+8U+CljKyM7uObCdjmpubu27ld15C/hsXVayHkDwPIwbF3yISPT1cv5DmpO81IB GuI+vhTBBcaLPILnCkPYzz1FdtH9jvNhXHDhby26F331e1Yp/9kLHBOzPL8sV6dJyAZG pTdqD9GGSVAIE9bWcqgreBuLTevvv3FMQajXQ8cCKNBJEmNAPCoNaeseJ2twrMbNtLPT ENHnqnVlO+C8kcJUM1FYzzBpzmo8UAy506WXq9s3T1R4U9ZcwZ7MrbDKmWqp98BJUZw3 5ilg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=GLYFUksMrLJJl8xdEo5zQsPHTOFGj4tqAV7rw+tNSas=; b=MC1i1UfMDoAm5Bezv/h9BxreUN1zsepIidIwfJAFIHJp2+SzSrN/ZxoQXm7SzrKPJi wF/pjLgQsIcGBO9k7qkxs2UUwuwzW/1pMRkH4gIyoh7cFoAHZX2kKsf2+bkwEsmTBVKB NWEm0MIukdlLC0XC1GwCMpZq9f10q16x97KExAvgsGG+mrstVRvXPa786jhoBr74qxpw pQsjPsgFLT7Q/HCSbhw73tIO59USgb8KfOYCjOvSyu6TN0V48/40RkpENiXgZQ6o6THs sv5ZK03MjrN+9istPYegyLORxQls4KLA0xU+ivcnT5g9biJkKyq0FDtQH3p3lRFXgav0 X1Ug== X-Gm-Message-State: APzg51DtVHg1dtj2RwhR91+dKBJvUAMhYeStQ+V+LuPwPvM7fWAc3ele BTQW95uUnOi+XQm49BTBD9009cFN6x1g9gm4pUwhGeeXPjY= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ANB0VdZPKb9QX5HWEAQkpvY9DFbgWR5yFrtVvr04MYEjn3Sg8mH/3OxBvGEP5CyjwqfiIVJvsxpwjSErO1XA6Vdyg84= X-Received: by 2002:a6b:c694:: with SMTP id w142-v6mr2975575iof.142.1535160573530; Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:29:33 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: xin tan Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2018 09:29:22 +0800 Message-ID: Subject: Ask for your comment for our research: Reducing the Workload of the Linux Kernel Maintainers: Multiple-Committer Model To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Hi all, I am a Ph.D. student from China. Our research team is dedicated to helping FLOSS ecosystems have healthy and sustainable development. The Linux kernel is one of the key study cases for us because as a prominent FLOSS project, the Linux kernel has many unique practices. Recently, we observed that increasing numbers of contributors to the Linux kernel have concerns regarding whether the development process (workflow) can handle the current mass of patches and even more patches in the future. While the workflow gives maintainers many rights, it also places significant pressure on them, which bears the risk of a single point of failure. We investigated the effect of a new model, the multiple-committer model, which is currently used by the i915 subsystem to alleviate the burden on its maintainer. We find that this model can reduce the proportion of the review workload of the busiest maintainer, reduce the review latency and maintainers' overwork, and simplify the review network. The review process is strictly enforced to guarantee the quality of patches. Subsystems with usage demands, mechanisms for ensuring patch quality, and candidate committers are suitable for the model. Sufficient precommit testing, a strict review process, necessary documentation, and the use of automatic tools are important practices to follow when applying the model. We hope our work would help other subsystems extract valuable information and optimize their workflow to achieve a more efficient review process and sustain themselves in a constantly changing, complicated environment. We uploaded the draft paper at "https://github.com/SunflowerPKU/Reducing-the-Workload-of-the-Linux-Kernel-Maintainers-Multiple-Committer-Model/blob/master/reduce-workload-linux.pdf". If you are interested in this topic, please take a moment to understand our work. We are looking forward to your comments and suggestions. Best regard, Xin Tan