Improving the mainline kernel testing process

[komputes]

Hi Kernel Team,

It has been some time that I have been talking to JFo about improving
instructions or simplifying the process of testing the mainline kernel.
We use the response "can you test the mainline kernel" so much that we
should make it much simpler to test. The problem is that the current
instructions [1] are complicated for average user to understand. We have
to remember that we have experience doing this, average users (like my
parents) do not.

Why is this a problem? What happens to most bugs, they get reported
against linux. Triager asks for the user to test mainline. At this point
many users give up and do not follow up causing expired bugs.

Here are some suggestions I propose:
- Rewrite instructions [1] to be more use friendly (dated and could use
some love)
- Create a simpler process for testing the mainline build
- Generate a LiveCD with the mainline kernel to simplify testing (not
ideal for bandwidth, but very user friendly). Simply boot, test and
report back.
- Place a "mainline" metapackage in the repos for testing purposes

What does the kernel team think of this proposal? Should it be something
to discuss at UDS or do we think we can correct this simply?

Cheers,

-komputes

  (]( -. .- )[)

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds

PS. Thanks to bjf and JFo for providing assistance and guiding me in
this proposal.