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

[Konstantin Ryabitsev]

On Tue, Oct 20, 2026 at 11:35:24AM -0400, Konstantin Ryabitsev 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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 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 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.

Linus, it looks like everyone is on board with this change, but it never made
it into any pull request. Will you consider merging this one directly for 7.4
rc-1? This ought to do it:

    b4 shazam -S 20261020-get-maintainer-the-rest-fallback-v2-0-162aea473488@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With the ever-increasing volume of patches sent in and Gmail's obtuse "you're
sending us too much mail, back off" attitude, this is becoming urgent.

Thanks,
-K