Re: [PATCH v2 0/2] get_maintainer: stop sending every patch to LKML

[David Laight <david.laight.linux@gmail.com>]

On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:35:24 -0400
Konstantin Ryabitsev <konstantin@linuxfoundation.org> 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:
> 
>   - 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.

That sort of implies that 2100 people are happy to receive all the
patch emails.
Take them away and there won't be much left.
OTOH you can't subscribe a gmail address - you miss most of the emails.

> 
> 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.

Hmmm....

That means that changes that misuse standard functions (like min_t) won't
be spotted because they are hidden from anyone who might just spot from the
subject that something odd might be going on.

David

> 
> 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 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: c03c1a14507dfaf8b856c2608f9ac216021fc222
> 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>
> 
>