netdev - Re: [PATCH] scripts: checkpatch: steer people away from using file paths

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Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:18:15 -0700
From: Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>
To: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>, krzk@...nel.org
Cc: geert@...ux-m68k.org, netdev@...r.kernel.org, workflows@...r.kernel.org,
  mario.limonciello@....com
Subject: Re: [PATCH] scripts: checkpatch: steer people away from using file
 paths

On Tue, 2023-07-25 at 08:59 -0700, Jakub Kicinski wrote:
> We repeatedly see noobs misuse get_maintainer by running it on
> the file paths rather than the patchfile. This leads to authors
> of changes (quoted commits and commits under Fixes) not getting
> CCed. These are usually the best reviewers!
> 
> The file option should really not be used by noobs, unless
> they are just trying to find a maintainer to manually contact.

noobs is not an appropriate use IMO for a commit message.

> This is what I had in mind.

<shrug>  I think it's unnecessary and this content should be
better described in some process doc.

> diff --git a/scripts/get_maintainer.pl b/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
[]
> @@ -544,7 +546,13 @@ foreach my $file (@ARGV) {
>      if ($from_filename && (vcs_exists() && !vcs_file_exists($file))) {
>  	warn "$P: file '$file' not found in version control $!\n";
>      }
> -    if ($from_filename || ($file ne "&STDIN" && vcs_file_exists($file))) {
> +    if ($from_filename) {
> +	if (!$silence_file_warning) {
> +	    warn "$P: WARNING: Prefer running the script on patches as "
> +	        . "generated by git format-patch. Selecting paths is known "
> +		. "to miss recipients!\n";

Don't separate a single output message into multiple lines.
Coalesce the string elements.

Also, this should show some reason why this isn't appropriate
as a patch to a single file would not have this issue.

e.g.:	When a patch series touches multiple files, showing all maintainers is useful. see:  <some process doc>

> @@ -1089,6 +1098,10 @@ version: $V
>     --pattern-depth=0 --remove-duplicates --rolestats]
>  
>  Notes:
> +  Using "-f file" is generally discouraged, running the script on a filepatch
> +      (as generated by git format-patch) is usually the right thing to do.
> +      Commit message is an integral part of the change and $P
> +      will extract additional information from it (keywords, Fixes tags etc.)

-f <file>

"filepatch" doesn't appear in the kernel at all. Use "patch file".

grammar: The commit message is...

may instead of will