Re: [PATCH v3 0/2] get_maintainer: stop sending every patch to LKML

[Joe Perches <joe@perches.com>]

On Fri, 2026-11-13 at 18:02 -0500, Konstantin Ryabitsev wrote:
> LKML has become mostly a firehose of patches that are already going to a
> subsystem list. The reason is THE REST: it matches every file in the
> tree, so get_maintainer.pl adds linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org to every
> single patch. During the week of Oct 1-7, 2026:

Andrew can you please get this upstream?

> 
>   - LKML carried 13,641 messages (~1,950/day), 90% of which were also
>     sent to at least one other list;
>   - with ~2,100 subscribers, that is about 29 million deliveries per
>     week for LKML alone.
> 
> This problem is becoming urgent and untenable. The increased volume of
> patches sent using AI tooling has resulted in dramatically higher
> delivery queues and if this change is not implemented, we will have to
> start force-unsubscribing addresses that do not show any developer
> activity or use similar drastic measures.
> 
> This issue came up during the 2026 Maintainer Summit and the consensus
> was that "always include linux-kernel for every patch" was never the
> intent.
> 
> This series makes THE REST a fallback as initially intended: it is only
> added for a file when no other matching MAINTAINERS section provides a
> mailing list that get_maintainer.pl would actually output for it.
> Patch 2 updates submitting-patches.rst, which currently tells submitters
> to send every patch to LKML.
> 
> Several v1 reviewers asked for a catch-all list that would keep carrying
> every patch for those who want to follow all kernel development. That
> is a worthwhile discussion, but it is separate from this series, which
> only restores THE REST to its original role.
> 
> Translation maintainers are Cc'd because the it_IT, ja_JP, sp_SP, zh_CN
> and zh_TW versions of submitting-patches.rst carry the same "send every
> patch to LKML" advice and will need a follow-up update once the English
> text is settled.
> 
> ---
> Changes in v3:
> - Rebased on v7.4-rc2
> - Update the cover to specify that this is urgent
> - Link to v2: https://patch.msgid.link/20261020-get-maintainer-the-rest-fallback-v2-0-162aea473488@linuxfoundation.org
> 
> Changes in v2:
> - Don't count subscribers-only lists (or moderated lists with
>   --no-moderated) as a destination, since get_maintainer.pl doesn't
>   output them; v1 sent patches to e.g. fs/squashfs/ to no list at all
> - Add submitting-patches.rst update describing LKML as the list of last
>   resort (Petr Pavlu)
> - Rebase on v7.3
> - Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20261008-get-maintainer-the-rest-fallback-v1-1-7d26d0b7aa34@linuxfoundation.org
> 
> ---
> Konstantin Ryabitsev (2):
>       get_maintainer: only use THE REST as a fallback
>       docs: submitting-patches: make LKML a list of last resort again
> 
>  Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst |  9 ++++--
>  scripts/get_maintainer.pl                    | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> ---
> base-commit: 7475ea8b58616b33c04afb976cf0fbaad9dd63fb
> base-tree: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git master
> change-id: 20261008-get-maintainer-the-rest-fallback-6655e8a648d4
> 
> Best regards,
> --  
> Konstantin Ryabitsev <konstantin@linuxfoundation.org>