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

[Konstantin Ryabitsev <konstantin@linuxfoundation.org>]

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.

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>