Group: Guix/PatchReviewSessions2024
Contents
Patch Review Sessions 2024
We're running online patch review sessions so that everyone can become a patch reviewer. The goal of reviewing patches is to help Guix project accept contributions while maintaining our quality standards. Patch reviewing is a great way to learn about Guix packages and the Guix system generally.
These are great sessions if you'd like to:
- Learn how to do patch reviews together
- Do some patch reviews in a friendly hacking session
For each session please join through the Meetup link next to each event to get updates. If you don't want to join through Meetup the session is run on Jitsi at https://meet.jit.si/london-guix-meetup
Calendar
These are the sessions we're planning on running - click Expand to check the topic, and register using the Meetup link next to each one:
Our first patch review session. TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
With an introduction by TBC. We'll look at xxxx areas.
TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
TBC will give an introduction to their process for reviewing patches. We'll then pick some patches to review and work through them as a group.
Session Agenda
Each session is run at 18:00 UTC, 18:00 BST (London), 19:00 CET (Paris), 13:00 EST (New York) and we'll generally try to:
- Introduction to someone's patch review process (30 mins)
- Patch review together (1 hour)
This will be an informal, friendly and interactive environment where anyone can ask questions, show how they do something or make suggestions. It's on-line which restricts things a little, but the goal is to be interactive and learn together.
If there are particular topics or questions you'd like to explore please add them below.
Next session questions / topics
- [a patch you want to review / a question you have? Add it here with your name]
Guix systems
- Guix QA Automatically builds the latest patches that are sent to the devel mailing list. Take the link to patches to see what's recently been built. Click into the issue number and it will cross-link you to other places like Issues and the Patchwork instance.
- Guix Issues provides a nice front-end to the data that's stored in the Debbugs instance. It has search and an easy way to get the Message-ID.
- Debbugs guix-patches is a shared GNU project debbugs. It's old and difficult to work with - can be better if you use the Debian bts package.
- Get patches from guix-patches public inbox, or through Guix Patchwork, or through the bug number on Issues/Debbugs.
Patch review overview
The purpose of a patch review is to make it easier for committer to accept the contribution. This means checking that it follows the generally accepted standards of the project and working with the contributor to help them if possible. Not everyone is a seasoned Guix developer, so think of reviews as having a couple of levels:
- 1. Submission review
- Generally checking that the submission is in good shape:
- Patch commit message and format: correctness, no spelling or punctuation errors
- Package license: check that new package licenses are correct
- Patch application - does it apply cleanly?
- Run guix lint as this gives lots of information
- 2. Functionality review
- Check that the patch does what it's supposed to do.
- Does it build in a repeatable way?
- Does it install correctly?
- Does the package work?
- Does guix lint pass?
- 3. Code review
- Review the code for problems
- Is the code formatted in a way that's similar to other code around it
- Does the change make sense?
- Does it use guix functions correctly?
General patch review comments
- Remember someone has put a lot of effort into their contribution - approach it positively
- Guix practises one change per patch
- If there is a problem be specific about how to reproduce it
- When leaving comments for the next reviewer / committer provide some reasonable detail on what you looked at and any questions you had
- It's fine not to know something - leave a comment for the committer so they can respond
- Participate on the bug - so that your review is part of the conversation around the contribution
Patch review process - CLI tools
Patch review process - Guix Emacs package
[link to the guix emacs package]
Patch review resources
-
A new Quality Assurance tool for Guix
- An overview of the Guix QA system and the work that's been done on it.
-
Guix Manual: Submitting Patches
- How to submit patches to Guix.
