From 1f57bd42b77cdc4b8e05ba9f4417872a6691b66d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thorsten Leemhuis Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2021 11:06:35 +0200 Subject: docs: submitting-patches: make section about the Link: tag more explicit Mention the 'Link' tag in the section about adding URLs to the commit msg, to make it clearer they "_primarily_ [...] should be about background", as Linus recently stated (see the link below). That makes the explanation also easier to find with a text search. For the same reason and to improve comprehensibility provide an example, too. Slightly improve the text at the same time to make it more obvious developers are meant to add links to issue reports in mailing list archives, as those allow regression tracking efforts to automatically check which bugs got resolved. Move the section also downwards slightly, to reduce jumping back and forth between aspects relevant for the top and the bottom part of the commit msg. Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=wgBhyLhQLPem1vybKNt7BKP+=qF=veBgc7VirZaXn4FUw@mail.gmail.com/ CC: Konstantin Ryabitsev Signed-off-by: Thorsten Leemhuis Reviewed-by: Konstantin Ryabitsev Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/27105768dc19b395e7c8e7a80d056d1ff9c570d0.1635152553.git.linux@leemhuis.info [jc: tweaked wording following Konstantin's recommendation] Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet --- Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst | 33 ++++++++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-) (limited to 'Documentation/process') diff --git a/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst b/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst index b0f31aa82fcd..a0cc96923ea7 100644 --- a/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst +++ b/Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst @@ -96,17 +96,6 @@ instead of "[This patch] makes xyzzy do frotz" or "[I] changed xyzzy to do frotz", as if you are giving orders to the codebase to change its behaviour. -If the patch fixes a logged bug entry, refer to that bug entry by -number and URL. If the patch follows from a mailing list discussion, -give a URL to the mailing list archive; use the https://lore.kernel.org/ -redirector with a ``Message-Id``, to ensure that the links cannot become -stale. - -However, try to make your explanation understandable without external -resources. In addition to giving a URL to a mailing list archive or -bug, summarize the relevant points of the discussion that led to the -patch as submitted. - If you want to refer to a specific commit, don't just refer to the SHA-1 ID of the commit. Please also include the oneline summary of the commit, to make it easier for reviewers to know what it is about. @@ -123,6 +112,28 @@ collisions with shorter IDs a real possibility. Bear in mind that, even if there is no collision with your six-character ID now, that condition may change five years from now. +If related discussions or any other background information behind the change +can be found on the web, add 'Link:' tags pointing to it. In case your patch +fixes a bug, for example, add a tag with a URL referencing the report in the +mailing list archives or a bug tracker; if the patch is a result of some +earlier mailing list discussion or something documented on the web, point to +it. + +When linking to mailing list archives, preferably use the lore.kernel.org +message archiver service. To create the link URL, use the contents of the +``Message-Id`` header of the message without the surrounding angle brackets. +For example:: + + Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/30th.anniversary.repost@klaava.Helsinki.FI/ + +Please check the link to make sure that it is actually working and points +to the relevant message. + +However, try to make your explanation understandable without external +resources. In addition to giving a URL to a mailing list archive or bug, +summarize the relevant points of the discussion that led to the +patch as submitted. + If your patch fixes a bug in a specific commit, e.g. you found an issue using ``git bisect``, please use the 'Fixes:' tag with the first 12 characters of the SHA-1 ID, and the one line summary. Do not split the tag across multiple -- cgit v1.2.3