[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] MAINTAINERS: Add more fields based on the linux kernel MAINTAINERs

[Michael Niedermayer]

On Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 07:38:50PM +0200, Anton Khirnov wrote:
> Quoting Michael Niedermayer (2024-08-15 09:33:07)
> > Text was stolen from the linux kernel
> > This is thus identical to the kernel just a different more compact format.
> > I am very happy also to switch the file entirely to the format of the linux kernel maintainer list
> > if people prefer
> > 
> > This allows tracking the status of each sub system, if it needs new blood or not
> > 
> > It allows people to specify a separate webpage / document describing the subsystem
> > It allows people to ask for bug reports to be mailed to them instead of just
> > sent to trac.
> > It allows listing things like gitlab or github or anything else where to
> > submit patches. This could be used both for testing new patch submission systems
> > as well as permanently honoring the preferance of the developers maintaining a
> > subsystem.
> > It allows listing a separate tree where development happens, and against which
> > thus patches should be done.
> > 
> > Overall this gives us/the people many more options on how to maintain their stuff
> 
> I agree with Rémi that we are way too small to need Linux-style
> subsystem delegation.

Lets see, lets pick last month, july, in
july 2024 we had 1456 messages on ffmpeg-devel
july 2023 we had 1493,
july 2022 we had 1221,
july 2021 we had  953,
july 2020 we had 1668
july 2019 we had 1316
july 2018 we had  974
july 2016 we had 1139
july 2014 we had 1183
july 2012 we had 1901
july 2010 we had 2391

Does this look to you like we are growing or that there is some limitation ?
(also i could quote both Paul and Kostya about saying that the project dying)

lets compare to LKML which used this proposed MAINTAINER system

july 2004 had 6435
july 2003 had 7558
july 2002 had 6194
july 2001 had 2502
july 2000 had 4879
july 1999 had 4837
july 1998 had 4303
july 1997 had 2590
july 1996 had 2053

so i downloaded linux 2.1 from 1996 and looked at its MAINTAINER file
    P: Person
    M: Mail patches to
    L: Mailing list that is relevant to this area
    W: Web-page with status/info
    S: Status, one of the following:
    ...

But lets see how many seperate lists where already there in 1996

grep 'L:' MAINTAINERS | sort | uniq -c
      1 L:	digiboard at list.fuller.edu
      1 L:	isdn4linux at hub-wue.franken.de
      2 L:	linux-eata at i-connect.net, linux-scsi at vger.rutgers.edu
      2 L:	linux-hams at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linux-ipx at vger.rutgers.edu [will change]
     14 L:	linux-kernel at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linux-laptop at vger.rutgers.edu
      9 L:	linux-net at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linux-ppp at vger.rutgers.edu
      4 L:	linux-scsi at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linux-smp at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linux-tape at vger.rutgers.edu
      1 L:	linware at sh.cvut.cz
      1 L: Mailing list that is relevant to this area
      1 L:	samba at listproc.anu.edu.au
      1 L:	[Someone fill in the netatalk list here]
      1 L:	sparclinux at vger.rutgers.edu

So here we established the fact that FFmpeg definitly reached the size
at which the kernel had "subsystems" even though the word occured only
once in MAINTAINER in 2.1


> I do not see who this is for and what actual
> problems it is supposed to address.

Many problems or many aspects of the same problem(s)

Its fundamental human nature that people want to be free and work on their
things without others interfering too much. They want to create
things they feel proud of.

Just think of it this way maybe, If you take 100 skilled artists and let
each work on their own you will get 100 art pieces many will be impressive.
OTOH if you put these 100 artists in the same group you will get one art piece
and many artists who want to leave.
Do you see maybe the relation to FFmpeg and people leaving ?

You could also make this example with cooks. 100 cooks make 100 wonderfull dishes
when they can work independantly. But if they are in the same kitchen and argue
and demand changes from each other, the result will not be wonderfull nor will
the cooks be satisfied with their own work, eventually some will leave

You dont see this because you where not hit by this yourself in a way
that bothers you.

Just as a unrelated, side note:
Also i think VDD is making it worse. It increases the gap between everyone
who comes to VDD and everyone who doesnt come to VDD. And i think it makes
it also harder for the people who come to VDD (who grow closer together)
to see the problem outside that group

(and iam not joking here, i have received mails from people saying they
 would support a fork, ...)

Also this patch doesnt split FFmpeg into subsystems it just allows people
a richer set of options in how to specify how and where each part is
maintained. (maybe noone will even use this)
This is just a small step in improving things and really it sadens me
that this is taken as something controversal.

thx

[...]
-- 
Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB

Freedom in capitalist society always remains about the same as it was in
ancient Greek republics: Freedom for slave owners. -- Vladimir Lenin
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