Dear coreboot,
this week the Gerrit review score -2 was discussed again in #coreboot@irc.freenode.net.
Several times, during the last two years, a review score of -2 was given and dealing with it caused a lot of discussion and friction.
This thread is not about the usefulness of -2. Currently it is the way it is set up and certain Gerrit users, those that can also submit change sets, have the right to assign a -2. This prohibits submitting the change set. The score of -2 has to be removed, and I think every Gerrit user with submit rights can do that, so that the change set can be submitted.
In contrast to a review score of -1, which is removed after every new upload of a patch set, -2 is sticky.
To formalize that a little bit, I propose the following addition to the developer guidelines.
1. A review score of -2 has to be assigned with a comment explaining, why the change set is blocked. If such a comment is not published within 24 hours after assigning -2, the -2 can be removed.
2. After answering to the comment, blocking the change set, a (useful) respond has to be published within *four* weeks. If there is no response, the change set can be submitted, if there are at least twice as many scores of +2 than -2.
3. If the review discussion lasts longer than two months, the topic should be brought up on the coreboot mailing list and, if there is no consensus, a vote should be announced, where within a week people can vote. There is no minimum participation number. The simple majority wins. If the votes equal, then the change set is rejected and won’t be submitted.
Thanks,
Paul