One of the key components in the kernel’s development process is the linux-next repository. Every day, a large number of branches, each containing commits intended for the next kernel development cycle, is pulled into linux-next and integrated. If there are conflicts between branches, the linux-next process will reveal them. In theory, many other types of problems can be found as well. Some developers feel that linux-next does not work as well as it could, though. At the 2025 Maintainers Summit, Mark Brown, who helps to keep linux-next going, led a session on how it could be made to work more effectively.