Don't use GitHub to merge commits, suggests Torvalds

Date:
Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:06:24 +0000

Description:
Linus Torvalds wants kernel developers to use the command-line to commit code to the kernel.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Linux creator Linus Torvalds isnt a fan of how GitHub s web interface merges code, which he believes creates absolutely useless garbage merges.

The commentary follows a pull request from Paragon Software who nudged Torvalds toinclude its driver code for the Windows NTFS filesystem into the 5.15 kernel.

... I notice that you have a github merge commit in there. That's another of those things that I *really* don't want to see - github creates absolutely useless garbage merges, and you should never ever use the github interfaces
to merge anything, wrote Torvalds in response to Paragons pull request,
before illustrating the shortcomings of making commits via GitHubs web interface. Check our roundup of the best Linux distros Here are the best
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Torvalds is known to occasionally dish out such advice to fellow kernel developers, though he has toned down his tutelage of late. Proper commitment

One of the shortcomings Torvalds highlighted are GitHubs concise, factually correct, but functionally useless, commit messages.

For instance, GitHubs commit message for Paragons merge read Merge branch 'torvalds:master' into master, which didnt impress Torvalds one bit.

github is a perfectly fine hosting site, and it does a number of other things well too, but merges is not one of those things, Torvalds shared.

He then went on to explain that he prefers kernel merges to be properly documented with details about what is being merged and why, along with proper and accurate details about the committer, which he believes isnt one of the strongest suit of GitHub.

Although he let it slide this time, Torvalds suggests Paragon do future
merges from the command-line.

...for continued development you need to do things properly. That means doing merges from the command line, not using the entirely broken github web interface, he concluded. Subscribe to Linux Format magazine for more Linux
and open source goodness



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/dont-use-github-to-merge-commits-suggests-torva lds/


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