Linus Torvalds has given developers a heads-up that the merge window for Linux kernel 6.17 could be “slightly chaotic”.
In his release announcement on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML), Torvalds confirmed that Linux kernel 6.16 was ready following a calm final week.
“It’s Sunday afternoon, and the release cycle has come to an end,” Torvalds wrote. “Last week was nice and calm, and there were no big show-stopper surprises to keep us from the regular schedule, so I’ve tagged and pushed out 6.16 as planned.”
The stability of the final week meant the release proceeded without a hitch. However, the key focus of Torvalds’ message was a forward-looking warning about the development of the next version, kernel 6.17.
A ‘chaotic’ merge window for Linux kernel 6.17
While Linux kernel 6.16 is now available, attention is already turning to the upcoming merge window for version 6.17, which Torvalds anticipates will be challenging for him personally.
“It’s worth noting that the upcoming merge window for 6.17 is going to be slightly chaotic for me,” Torvalds explained. “I have multiple family events this August (a wedding and a big birthday), and with said family being spread not only across the US, but in Finland too, I’m spending about half the month traveling.”
This extensive travel will naturally impact his ability to manage the influx of pull requests that characterise the start of a new development cycle. To mitigate this, Torvalds has organised a plan to front-load the workload for Linux kernel 6.17 and intends to process the majority of pull requests during the first week of the merge window before his travels begin.
“I already ended up giving a heads-up on that to the people who tend to send me the most pull requests,” he noted. “And indeed, I already have 50 pull requests pending, so thanks to people who took that heads-up to heart.”
Keep calm and carry on
Despite his efforts to keep development on track, Torvalds acknowledged that his schedule might necessitate a slight delay to Linux kernel 6.17. He reassured the community that if he cannot manage the entire workload during the second week of the merge window, he may postpone the first release candidate, rc1, to give himself time to catch up.
However, he was quick to clarify that this potential flexibility does not mean he will be more lenient with late submissions. “That does not mean that I’ll be more lenient to late pull requests (probably quite the reverse, since it’s just going to add to the potential chaos),” he warned.
If a delay to Linux kernel 6.17 does occur, Torvalds asked developers not to be alarmed. “If I don’t cut a -rc1 like clockwork in two weeks, don’t panic – it just means I’ll do it a few days later,” he stated.
He summarised the situation with his characteristic frankness, noting that he believes everything will proceed normally but wanted to signal the possibility that “things might not go as smoothly as I hope because I’m off gallivanting on family business.”
As for the newly released kernel 6.16, Torvalds described it as uneventful in the best way possible. “The current release is out, and looks fine,” he said, adding that the final week was “really small and calm.” He concluded that the update is “really not all that interesting (in all the best ways!).”
The shortlog for Linux kernel 6.16 confirms Torvalds’ assessment, showing that the bulk of the changes consists of minor driver fixes and other small corrections across the kernel. However, all eyes will now be on Linux kernel 6.17.
(Photo by Lukas)
See also: Can Europe fix the open-source maintenance crisis?
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