GDC targeted-CVE builds - what fits the existing build machinery ships Monday, everything else is quoted work, slips are attributed to the customer constraint, and a rough estimate is enough
Situation
Across 10/30 to 11/2 Peter applied one rule to Tissa asks for 1.16/1.17/1.18 kernels. Default: last week build plus CVE 9999, available Monday because it fits existing machinery. A March-kernel branch with only 9999 is a new branch with no build path or testing, so it gets an ETA, not a commitment. 1.18 by Monday holds only if CIQ can keep rebasing on upstream. He pressed Google to decide that day and asked why they would want one new CVE but not the 37 old ones. On 10/31 he directed that any date change on the sheet state it is caused by Google not wanting the latest driver, and that communicated dates be reinforced. On 11/2 he refused a two-day turnaround by email (dates stay 11/16, one could be pulled in and the other slid) and told Nathan and Justin the message is weeks not days, about 3 weeks, and a swag is sufficient - no more planning effort than that.
Reasoning
The line is the build machinery, not effort: what the weekly rebase train produces is near-free and ships; anything needing new build infrastructure is real work with real dates. Writing the cause of a slip next to the date protects CIQ when 11/16 is revisited. A rough estimate makes not-this-week clear without letting customer urgency set the planning budget. The 37-CVE question nudges Google toward the rebase path, which is both safer and deliverable.
Additional Context
Extends the 10/30 decision to give an ETA assuming funded. Google is scrambling for Anthropic; Tissa says the 1.18 silver freeze date is unmovable.
Observed Evidence
Fits in our existing machinery, available Monday; a whole new branch, no build path, no testing; you have to decide today; why not the 37 old ones; change the date but make clear it is because of their constraint; no way at all in 2 days; weeks not days; a swag is sufficient.
Matching Patterns
Confidence Breakdown
Reasoning Depth Analysis
Related Context
fathom
Last week build with 9999 on it. That fits in our existing machinery. That will be available on Monday... if you step away from our ability to rebase, we are confident we cannot hit Monday.
slack
change the date on the sheet but also make clear to them that the date is impacted because of that desire not to have the latest driver.
That is why they have dates currently of 11/16 in the spreadsheet. We could pull one in a few days and slide the other out a few days.
slack
it is weeks, not days... a swag like that is sufficient. I would not put more time into it than that.
Outcome
No outcome recorded yet.
Decision ID: 14d3956a-0d37-4f15-a292-880d4eda4b4d