NeilBrown <neilb@xxxxxxx> writes: > On Thu, Jan 07 2016, Jes Sorensen wrote: > >> Brassow Jonathan <jbrassow@xxxxxxxxxx> writes: >>> Many thanks Neil for all the work you’ve done and the help you gave me >>> while working on the DM/MD interactions bits. I’m happy you are >>> sticking around for the raid1-cluster and raid5-journal bits and I’m >>> interested to see what comes out of those. >>> >>> I know there are a number of folks around Red Hat who are capable and >>> possibly interested to share the load. They should be back from PTO >>> soon and we’ll make sure they know about the opportunity. >> >> Thanks Neil! >> >> I mentioned to Neil last year that I could probably be convinced, >> bribed, shamed, into maintaining mdadm. > > I realise that is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I am certainly not > looking for someone who needs to be convinced, bribed, or shamed. I'm > hoping for someone who will weigh the pros and cons, decide this is a > contribution they are willing (and maybe even eager) to make, and will > step up and do so. And I suspect that behind that facade of > reluctance, that is what you are really offering. Thanks. > > I propose to make one last release of mdadm either next week or the last > week of January. I plan to call it "3.4" in acknowledgment of the new > cluster and raid5-journal functionality. > If you were to take it from there, I would be grateful. Hi Neil, I wouldn't have offered to take on mdadm if I hadn't meant it, even if I like making the wording sound silly :) I feel I can do a decent job at it and the task should be reasonable in scope. If someone is dying to take it on, I am not going to stand in their way, but I feel mdadm needs a maintainer and it's a worthy effort. We'll have to figure out the logistics, and I'd like to coordinate with who takes on drivers/md Cheers, Jes > > Thanks, > NeilBrown > >> >> The kernel MD stack I think really needs a team to run it. There is just >> too much internal knowledge sitting in Neil's head and I personally am a >> little scared of taking on that. Shaohua Li would be a good candidate >> for that team IMHO. >> >> Cheers, >> Jes >> >> >>> thanks, >>> brassow >>> >>>> On Dec 21, 2015, at 12:10 AM, NeilBrown <neilb@xxxxxxxx> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> hi, >>>> I became maintainer for md (Linux Software RAID) in late 2001 and on >>>> the whole it has been fun and a valuable experience. But I have been >>>> losing interest in recent years (https://lwn.net/Articles/511073/) and >>>> as was mentioned at the kernel summit, I would like to resign. Some >>>> years ago I managed to hand over nfsd to the excellent Bruce Fields, >>>> but I do not seem to have the gift that Linus has of attracting >>>> maintainers. While there are a number of people who know quite a bit >>>> about md and/or have contributed to development, there is no obvious >>>> candidate for replacement maintainer - no one who has already been >>>> doing significant parts of the maintainer role. >>>> >>>> So I have decided to fall back on the mechanism by which I ended up >>>> being maintainer in the first place. I will create a vacuum and hope >>>> someone fills it (yes: I was sucked-in....). So as of 1st February >>>> 2016 I will be resigning. >>>> >>>> At the kernel summit in October Linus talked about the value of >>>> maintainership teams (https://lwn.net/Articles/662979/). I think it >>>> would be great if a (small) team formed to continue to oversee md >>>> rather than just a single individual (or maybe the dm team could extend >>>> to include md??). If I had managed to be part of a team rather than >>>> "going it alone" for so long, I might feel less tired of the whole >>>> thing now. >>>> >>>> I don't see it as my place to appoint that team or any individuals, or >>>> even to nominate any candidates. A very important attribute of a >>>> maintainer is that they need to care about the code and the subsystem >>>> and I cannot tell other people to care (or even know if they do). It >>>> is really up to individuals to volunteer. A few people have been >>>> mentioned to me in earlier less-public conversations. Any of them may >>>> well be suitable, but I would rather they named themselves if >>>> interested. >>>> >>>> So I'm hoping to get one or more volunteers to be maintainer: >>>> - to gather and manage patches and outstanding issues, >>>> - to review patches or get them reviewed >>>> - to follow up bug reports and get them resolved >>>> - to feed patches upstream, maybe directly to Linus, >>>> maybe through some other maintainer, depending on what >>>> relationships already exist or can be formed, >>>> - to guide the longer term direction (saying "no" is important >>>> sometimes), >>>> - to care, >>>> but also to be aware that maintainership takes real effort and time, as >>>> does anything that is really worthwhile. >>>> >>>> This all applies to mdadm as well as md (except you would ultimately >>>> *be* upstream for mdadm, not needing to send it anywhere). Even if a >>>> clear team doesn't form it would be great if different people >>>> maintained mdadm and md. >>>> >>>> One part of the job that I have put a lot of time in to is following >>>> the linux-raid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx list and providing support. This makes >>>> people feel good about md and so more adventurous in using it. >>>> Consequently I tend to hear about bugs and usability issues nice and >>>> early (well before paying customers hit them in most cases) and that is >>>> a big win. >>>> In recent times I've been doing less of this and have been absolutely >>>> thrilled that the gap has been more than filled by other very competent >>>> community members. Not developers particular but a number of md users >>>> have been providing excellent support. I'd particularly like to >>>> high-light Phil Turmel who is very forthcoming with excellent advice, >>>> but he is certainly not the only one who deserves a lot of thanks. >>>> So "Thank you" to everyone who answers questions on linux-raid. >>>> >>>> This would be a good place for any future maintainer to hang out to >>>> receive wisdom as well as to provide support. >>>> >>>> I will still be around. I can certainly help out in some sort of >>>> mentor role, and can probably be convinced to review patches and >>>> comment on designs. But I really want to head towards spending less >>>> time on md (there are so many other interesting things to learn about). >>>> >>>> So: if anyone is interested - please announce yourself, ask questions >>>> and start doing things. I have no clear idea about how a transition >>>> will happen. That is really up to you (plural). Take the bull by the >>>> horns and start *being* a maintainer(team). I won't get in your way >>>> and I'll help where I can. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> NeilBrown >>>> >>>> P.S. I'm committed to continue to work with the raid5-journal effort >>>> From Facebook and the raid1-cluster effort from SUSE and the >>>> line-in-the-sand of 1st February won't affect my support for those. >>>> -- >>>> dm-devel mailing list >>>> dm-devel@xxxxxxxxxx >>>> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/dm-devel >>> >>> -- >>> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" in >>> the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html >> -- >> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" in >> the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
