Re: Bash patches format

["Marty E. Plummer" <hanetzer%startmail.com@localhost>]

On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 10:30:10AM +0200, Emanuel Haupt wrote:
> "Marty E. Plummer" <hanetzer%startmail.com@localhost> wrote:
> > On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 10:42:27AM +0800, Clark Wang wrote:
> > > On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 8:25 AM, Marty E. Plummer
> > > <hanetzer%startmail.com@localhost> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > > If people are willing to do the conversion between patch
> > > > > formats for
> > > > their
> > > > > own purposes, more power to them. I don't see any compelling
> > > > > reason to change the format I use.
> > > > >
> > > > Could I at least convince you to start doing -p1, if not unified?
> > > >
> > > 
> > > I think the cost is too high. All bash package maintainers on
> > > different *nix systems will have to change accordingly.
> > > 
> > > -clark
> > Well how about this; we ask the downstreams. List taken from repology,
> > hopefully these are still all active and accurate. So, to reiterate
> > the original premise of this thread for the newly added, I suggest the
> > following:
> > 
> > 1. Change the official upstream bash patch format to be -p1
> > applicable, as a number of major linux distros either convert the
> > patches in their own source repo to -p1 (debian and its children,
> > fedora and its children), or have to take an explicit deviation from
> > their default patch application method (gentoo) in order to apply -p0
> > patches.
> > 
> > Optional:
> > 2. Change the format of the patch from a context diff to a unified
> > diff, for the following reasons:
> >     a. unified diffs are generally smaller than an equivalent context
> >     diff, while encoding the same information.
> >     *** a/lib/readline/history.c    2015-12-28 13:50:31.000000000
> > -0500
> >     --- b/lib/readline/history.c    2016-09-30 14:28:40.000000000
> > -0400 ***************
> >     *** 308,312 ****
> >     	{
> >     	  if (history_stifled && history_max_entries > 0)
> >     !           history_size = history_max_entries + 2;
> >     	  else
> >     	    history_size = DEFAULT_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE;
> >     --- 310,316 ----
> >     	{
> >     	  if (history_stifled && history_max_entries > 0)
> >     !           history_size = (history_max_entries >
> > MAX_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE) !                               ?
> > MAX_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE !                               :
> > history_max_entries + 2; else
> >     	    history_size = DEFAULT_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE;
> > 
> >     --- a/lib/readline/history.c    2015-12-28 13:50:31.000000000
> > -0500 +++ b/lib/readline/history.c    2016-09-30 14:28:40.000000000
> > -0400 @@ -308,5 +310,7 @@
> >     	{
> >     	  if (history_stifled && history_max_entries > 0)
> >     -           history_size = history_max_entries + 2;
> >     +           history_size = (history_max_entries >
> > MAX_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE)
> >     +                               ? MAX_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE
> >     +                               : history_max_entries + 2;
> >     	  else
> >     	    history_size = DEFAULT_HISTORY_INITIAL_SIZE;
> > 
> >     b. <opinion> unified diffs are easier to size up at a glance than
> >     context diffs.
> > 
> >     c. <conjecture based on personal observation> unified diffs are
> > the standard for a host of foss projects, especially those using git
> > as a vcs solution as it produces context diffs by default and you
> > have to purposely change it to do otherwise.
> > 
> > Maintainers, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this matter. If
> > the diffs are produced as -p1 unified diffs, then downstreams who do
> > convert from -p0 context won't have to, and distros who work around it
> > won't either.
> 
> FreeBSD ports/package maintainer here.
> 
> The FreeBSD ports framework uses -p0 by default:
> 
> # make -VPATCH_STRIP -C /usr/ports/shells/bash
> -p0
> 
> As long as all patches come with the same patch strip level I could
> simply change the PATCH_STRIP variable.
> 
> Our porters handbook advertises unified diffs:
> 
> https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/slow-patch.html
Interesting, but this document seems to be about makign patches yourself
and not official upstream patches; unless I'm missing something.
> 
> Personally I find unified diffs easier to read. From a FreeBSD
> viewpoint I don't see a need to switch from -p0 to -p1.
> 
> Then again I have no strong feelings one way or the other.
> 
> Emanuel