git-patchset

This is highlevel utility for easy creating and maintaining a patchset. Patchset is a set of patches that implement a feature or fix something.

Quite a common story when upstream asks for changes to a proposed patch (make a new version). Sometimes there can be a dozen of such versions. When the prepared changes in the one patch, then there are no special problems with preparing a new version of this patch. When a patchset consists of 5, 8, or more patches, updating it becomes a difficult rebase task.

This utility is designed to simplify the process of creating, updating and publishing large patchsets. The utility relies heavily on techniques already in git.

Patchset

In git terms, patchset name is just a part of branch name. Each patchset has a version and description. Each version of a patchset is represented by a git branch.

To start a new patchset, you need to select a base branch:

$ git branch --list 'linux-*'
  linux-5.10-rc6
  linux-5.10-rc7
  linux-5.6
  linux-5.7
  linux-5.8
  linux-5.9

$ git patchset create foo linux-5.10-rc7
Updating files: 100% (11538/11538), done.
Branch 'patchset/foo/v1' set up to track local branch 'linux-5.10-rc7'.
Switched to a new branch 'patchset/foo/v1.0'
git-patchset: new patchset created: patchset/foo/v1.0

$ git patchset list
* 0477e9288185..0477e9288185     (0) patchset/foo/v1.0

The new patchset starts at v1.0. When you create a new patchset, you will be asked to describe the proposed changes.

To change the patchset description:

$ git patchset cover -e

By default, the patchset list contains only the latest versions.

$ git patchset
* 0477e9288185..0477e9288185    (11) patchset/foo/v1.0
- 0477e9288185..1e796f9e008f     (6) patchset/fuse-inprocess-request/v3.0
- e71ba9452f0b..5da51b21077b     (8) patchset/per-userspace-rlimit/v3.0
- 629727c85a17..2ef0e59e5c51     (5) patchset/proc-revealing/v4.0

$ git patchset list --versions
- bcf876870b95..d755e9e48cea    (11) patchset/foo/v1.0
- bcf876870b95..f2fb7c729413    (11) patchset/foo/v2.0
- 0477e9288185..cf5d6cd40d2e    (15) patchset/foo/v3.0
- e71ba9452f0b..54b0cf752c2c    (15) patchset/foo/v4.0
- e71ba9452f0b..5da51b21077b    (18) patchset/foo/v5.0

To prepare a patchset for publication use the command:

$ git patchset export -o patches/

You can use any method for submitting patches. If you use git-send-email, you can do it right away:

$ git patchset send

License

SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0

Bugs

Report bugs to authors.