Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH] get_maintainer.pl: Default to --no-git-fallback

[Markus Armbruster]

"Michael S. Tsirkin" <address@hidden> writes:

> On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 09:01:24AM +0200, Markus Armbruster wrote:
>> "Michael S. Tsirkin" <address@hidden> writes:
>> 
>> > On Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 03:34:46PM +0200, Markus Armbruster wrote:
>> >> Paolo Bonzini <address@hidden> writes:
>> >> 
>> >> > On 10/20/2014 04:15 PM, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
>> >> >> What do you want to happen in this case?
>> >> >> Won't this cause even more patches to fall to the floor?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The benefit seems marginal, the risk high.
>> >> >
>> >> > I agree with Michael.
>> >> >
>> >> > Can we detect if get_maintainer.pl is invoked as a cccmd, and in this
>> >> > case default to --no-git-fallback?  If it is invoked manually, I would
>> >> > like to show the committers (I will then cherry pick the right ones).
>> >> 
>> >> I don't like context-sensitive defaults.  Too much magic.
>> >>
>> >> What about this: if get_maintainer.pl comes up empty, it points you to
>> >> --git-fallback.
>> >
>> > This is exactly what it's doing now :)
>> 
>> Nope.  This is what it's doing now:
>> 
>>     $ scripts/get_maintainer.pl -f util/cutils.c
>>     Luiz Capitulino <address@hidden> (commit_signer:1/2=50%)
>>     Eric Blake <address@hidden> (commit_signer:1/2=50%)
>>     Alexey Kardashevskiy <address@hidden> (commit_signer:1/2=50%)
>>     Laszlo Ersek <address@hidden> (commit_signer:1/2=50%)
>>     Amit Shah <address@hidden> (commit_signer:1/2=50%)
>> 
>> A sufficiently seasoned contributor will spot the "commit_signer" tags,
>> and the output as a hint to find people to copy.  In this particular
>> case, he'll recognize the hint is useless.  Maybe he'll try something
>> like --git-since 2010 or --git-blame then.  I'd just peruse git-log.
>> 
>> A less seasoned contributor will blindly copy all five.
>
> I give up. What's the correct answer?
> I frankly don't know whom should one copy on this file.
> Fabrice?

Fabrice would be a textbook example of a useless cc.

I'd pick based on the patch's contents.  For instance, if it fixes a
function that is used by block stuff only, try copying block
maintainers.  You get the idea.  It's an art, not something a dumb
script can do.

An inexperienced contributor probably won't be able to find out whom to
copy here.  Making him send out five mostly useless copies is not a
solution.

Don proposed adding a catchall maintainer, and Peter refined
it to address@hidden  This could serve as a formal cry "I have no
idea who could review this, please help me".

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