Missing policy to upstream Linux patches

Currently, there does not seem to be a policy to upstream the Linux patches, adding maintenance burden.

1. Forward porting these patches takes a lot of effort, which – once upstream – the Linux community would take care of.
2. Work with other network operating systems, like Open Network Linux, which also has no upstreaming policy, is duplicated.
3. The original patch authors are often gone after a while.

OpenBMC has a Development Process, I recommend to adapt.

Upstream is key

In order to leverage the benefits of using the Linux kernel, OpenBMC maintains a policy that all kernel code will be merged upstream.

However, there are often cases where product requirements mean that synchronising with an upstream schedule is not always possible. This process aims to allow both goals (upstream inclusion and a useful OpenBMC build) to occur in parallel.

Start by reviewing the issue’s rationale and the referenced OpenBMC Development Process. Compare that process with the sonic-linux-kernel workflow and define a policy covering upstreaming, forward-porting, and cases where product requirements prevent synchronization; done means the policy is documented and adapted for this project.