[$] How many -stable patches introduce new bugs?
The -stable kernel release process faces a contradictory set of constraints.
Developers naturally want to get as many fixes into -stable as possible
but, at the same time, there is a strong desire to avoid introducing new
regressions there. Each -stable release is, after all, intended to be more
stable than its predecessor. At times there have been complaints that
-stable is too accepting and too prone to regressions, but not many
specifics. But, it turns out, this is an area where at least a little bit
of objective research can be done.