Subject: Adding to linux-next?

From: Gregory Haskins <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:08:43 -0400

Hello Stephen, linux-next'ers,

I am looking for some guidance on policy/procedure governing inclusion
of a tree to linux-next.  For instance: Do I have to be arbitrarily
invited (e.g. by some committee on LKML), or do I explicitly request
consideration?  I tried to Google around for answers, and also found the
linux-next wiki, but I was not getting any clear answers.

I have these guest drivers to support IO on top of the AlacrityVM
hypervisor:

http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/8/3/278

The comments have since died down.  I realize this can mean anything
from "no objection" to "no interest" ;), but I assume the former unless
someone pipes up.

I believe I addressed the review comments and received an Ack from the
one maintainer of the tree that overlaps with the work (netdev/davem), here:

http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/8/3/505

Since the rest of the work doesn't really fall into any existing
subsystem, and David conceded that the netdev overlap portion should
carry elsewhere, I offer to fill this role myself from within the
AlacrityVM tree itself.

As such, I have taken the driver series and created a new branch here:

git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/ghaskins/alacrityvm/linux-2.6.git
linux-next

Unlike the original posting, I have excluded the final ethernet patch
since I posted a v3 today (http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/10/2/239) that I
would like to have David re-Ack before including.

Once the driver has been suitably approved by David, and if he still
feels its ok to carry in a tree other than netdev, I will re-add it to
the linux-next branch.

Because I am not really sure of the policies for linux-next, let me
state my intentions of this branch, since I am an unknown in the
maintainership role:

I will only post patches to this branch that:

*) do not fall into an existing maintained subsystem category, unless
the appropriate maintainer has relinquished the patch to carry in my tree.
*) have previously been posted to LKML for suitable review.

IOW: The purpose is not to sneak something in, or subvert a maintained
subsystem.  It is purely to carry pieces that have no other home and are
maintained under the AlacrityVM project.  You can find more details of
the project here:

http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/AlacrityVM

If this is not acceptable, or I need to follow some other procedure,
please advise me on the proper steps.  Perhaps I will update the wiki
FAQ on what I learn from your responses :)

Thank you, and Kind Regards,
-Greg