On 03.08.26 10:14, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
[...] Ugh. This is what happens when we are trying to deal with stable stuff that is not upstream, we almost always get it wrong.
Can you send me a revert patch for this, so we can fix your build?
Locally I use [1] for now, also attached, based on linux-6.6.y at aa0e49877a2e61e9f4ca10e039727a34f59e9964, tag: v6.6.148.
[1]: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/linux-ia64/linux-stable-rc/refs/heads/__mi...
ANd going forward, I think we're just going to have to stick to the "it has to be usptream" stuff, and if you wish to keep this arch alive outside of upstream, the api/build/whatever fallout will have to be on you, as we just can't handle it here, sorry.
I kind of understand the issue here. But if it's impossible to maintain all architectures in an LTS kernel that were present during its first release, the LTS somewhat loses its meaning IMHO - unless this never covered all architectures present in a release. But then I also don't understand:
"The ia64 architecture gets its well-earned retirement as planned, now that there is one last (mostly) working release that will be maintained as an LTS kernel."
...from [2].
[2]: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?i...
But I also wonder: if a mainline patch that should go into a stable kernel branch but won't work as is, it needs to be backported somewhow, or?
Which is IMHO exactly the situation we have here: A mainline patch ([3]) from a Linux version (6.11) after an arch removal "failed" to modify all relevant files in a stable Linux version (6.6) before that arch removal. Hence that mainline patch requires modifications.
[3]: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?i...
I assume there must have been already cases where a mainline patch was desired, but didn't fit as is and so required modifications. If that case is supported, it should also work for the few stable Linux branches that still have support for ia64 included (linux-5.10.y, linux-5.15.y, linux-6.1.y and linux-6.6.y)), no?
****
But if you can't handle that case, sure, we can do it on our own. Though again I think there is not much of a difference to cases where a mainline patch breaks some still supported arch, device driver, whatever in a stable branch and people like to have both working: they cannot fix it in mainline.
Cheers, Frank