linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v4 1/3] checkpatch: warn when unknown tags are used for links

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Date:   Thu, 2 Mar 2023 06:36:17 +0100
From:   Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
To:     Matthieu Baerts <matthieu.baerts@...sares.net>,
        Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
        Andy Whitcroft <apw@...onical.com>,
        Dwaipayan Ray <dwaipayanray1@...il.com>,
        Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@...il.com>
Cc:     Kai Wasserbäch <kai@....carbon-project.org>,
        Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 1/3] checkpatch: warn when unknown tags are used for
 links

On 27.02.23 14:25, Matthieu Baerts wrote:
> On 20/01/2023 13:35, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
>> From: Kai Wasserbäch <kai@....carbon-project.org>
>>
>> Issue a warning when encountering URLs behind unknown tags, as Linus
>> recently stated ```please stop making up random tags that make no sense.
>> Just use "Link:"```[1]. That statement was triggered by an use of
>> 'BugLink', but that's not the only tag people invented:
>>
>> $ git log -100000 --no-merges --format=email -P \
>>    --grep='^\w+:[ \t]*http' | grep -Poh '^\w+:[ \t]*http' | \
>>   sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -n 20
>>  103958 Link: http
>>     418 BugLink: http
>>     372 Patchwork: http
>>     280 Closes: http
>>     224 Bug: http
>>     123 References: http
>> [...]
>>
>> Some of these non-standard tags make it harder for external tools that
>> rely on use of proper tags. One of those tools is the regression
>> tracking bot 'regzbot', which looks out for "Link:" tags pointing to
>> reports of tracked regressions.
> 
> I'm sorry for the late feedback but would it be possible to add an
> exception for the "Closes" tag followed by a URL?

As I just wrote in a reply to Jakub: Not sure. Every special case makes
things harder for humans and software that looks at a commits downstream.

> This tag is useful -- at least for us when maintaining the MPTCP subtree
> -- to have tickets being automatically closed when a patch is accepted.
> I don't think this "Closes" tag is a "random one that makes no sense"
> but I agree it is not an "official" one described in the documentation.
>
> On our side, we are using GitHub to manage issues but this also works
> with GitLab and probably others. Other keywords are also accepted [1][2]
> but I guess it is best to stick with one, especially when it is already
> used according to the list provided above.
> 
> Would it then be OK to allow this "Closes" tag in checkpatch.pl and
> mention it in the documentation (Submitting patches)?
> 
> Or should we switch to the "Link" tag instead (and re-do the tracking
> manually)?
> 
> [1]
> https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/writing-on-github/working-with-advanced-formatting/using-keywords-in-issues-and-pull-requests
> [2]
> https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/issues/managing_issues.html#default-closing-pattern

For the record, let me repeat and further elaborate what I already said
on social media before you wrote your mail:

 * I'm not mostly neutral here, but it was Linus who wrote "please stop
making up random tags that make no sense." in [1]. This was triggered by
a use of "BugLink:"; maybe there are tools out there that rely on that
tag, hence their users might ask for a exception as well. That's why I
think it's Linus call to grant any exceptions.

[1]
https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHk-=wgs38ZrfPvy=nOwVkVzjpM3VFU1zobP37Fwd_h9iAD5JQ@mail.gmail.com/

 * if such an exception is made, it IMHO must be documented in our
documentation, so any software and humans that rely on these tags are
aware of it.

Ciao, Thorsten