It is a good idea to have a readme so people finding the project can
know more about it, and know how they can get involved.
Signed-off-by: Pratyush Yadav <m...@yadavpratyush.com>
---
Changes in v2:
- s/Gui/GUI/g suggested by Johannes.
- s/git/Git/ wherever applicable suggested by Johannes.
- Clarify that there is no compilation involved, and it is just a
bunch of substitutions. Suggested by Johannes.
- Clarify that directly using `git send-email` is bad workflow, and
suggest using `git format-patch` before that. Suggested by Bert.
- Add an example of using `git format-patch`.
- Add a "Responding to review comments" section.
Range-diff against v1:
1: df866a9 ! 1: 82fd39f git-gui: add a readme
@@ -12,25 +12,26 @@
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@
-+# Git Gui - A graphical user interface for Git
++# Git GUI - A graphical user interface for Git
+
-+Git Gui is a GUI for [git](https://git-scm.com/) written in Tcl/Tk. It
allows
-+you to use the git source control management tools via a GUI. This
includes
++Git GUI is a GUI for [Git](https://git-scm.com/) written in Tcl/Tk. It
allows
++you to use the Git source control management tools via a GUI. This
includes
+staging, commiting, adding, pushing, etc. It can also be used as a blame
+viewer, a tree browser, and a citool (make exactly one commit before
exiting
+and returning to shell). More details about git-gui can be found in its
manual
+page by either running `man git-gui`, or by visiting the [online manual
+page](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-gui).
+
-+Git Gui was initially written by Shawn O. Pearce, and is distributed with
the
-+standard git installation.
++Git GUI was initially written by Shawn O. Pearce, and is distributed with
the
++standard Git installation.
+
+# Building and installing
+
-+Most of Git Gui is written in Tcl, so there is not much compilation
involved.
-+Still, some things do need to be done, so you do need to "build" it.
++Most of Git GUI is written in Tcl, so there is no compilation involved.
Still,
++some things do need to be done (mostly some substitutions), so you do
need to
++"build" it.
+
-+You can build Git Gui using:
++You can build Git GUI using:
+
+```
+make
@@ -49,18 +50,29 @@
+The project is currently maintained by Pratyush Yadav over at
+https://github.com/prati0100/git-gui. Even though the project is hosted at
+GitHub, the development does not happen over GitHub Issues and Pull
Requests.
-+Instead, an email based workflow is used. The git mailing list
++Instead, an email based workflow is used. The Git mailing list
+[git@vger.kernel.org](mailto:git@vger.kernel.org) is where the patches are
+discussed and reviewed.
+
-+More information about the git mailing list and instructions to subscribe
can
++More information about the Git mailing list and instructions to subscribe
can
+be found [here](https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/GitCommunity).
+
+## Sending your changes
+
+Since the development happens over email, you need to send in your
commits in
+text format. Commits can be converted to emails via the two tools
provided by
-+git: `git-send-email` and `git-format-patch`.
++Git: `git-send-email` and `git-format-patch`.
++
++You can use `git-format-patch` to generate patches in mbox format from
your
++commits that can then be sent via email. Let's say you are working on a
branch
++called 'foo' that was created on top of 'master'. You can run:
++
++```
++git format-patch -o output_dir master..foo
++```
++
++to convert all the extra commits in 'foo' into a set of patches saved in
the
++folder `output_dir`.
+
+If you are sending multiple patches, it is recommended to include a cover
+letter. A cover letter is an email explaining in brief what the series is
@@ -75,8 +87,12 @@
+
+### Using git-send-email
+
-+You can use `git-send-email` to send patches via email. A pretty good
guide to
-+configuring and using `git-send-email` can be found
++You can use `git-send-email` to send patches generated via
`git-format-patch`.
++While you can directly send patches via `git-send-email`, it is
recommended
++that you first use `git-format-patch` to generate the emails, audit them,
and
++then send them via `git-send-email`.
++
++A pretty good guide to configuring and using `git-send-email` can be found
+[here](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/HowToUseGitSendEmail/)
+
+### Using your email client
@@ -132,7 +148,7 @@
+
+You need to sign off your commits before sending them to the list. You
can do
+that by passing the `-s` option to `git-commit`. You can also use the
"Sign
-+Off" option in Git Gui.
++Off" option in Git GUI.
+
+A sign-off is a simple 'Signed-off-by: A U Thor \<aut...@example.com\>'
line at
+the end of the commit message, after your explanation of the commit.
@@ -140,3 +156,24 @@
+A sign-off means that you are legally allowed to send the code, and it
serves
+as a certificate of origin. More information can be found at
+[developercertificate.org](https://developercertificate.org/).
++
++## Responding to review comments
++
++It is quite likely your patches will get review comments. Those comments
are
++sent on the Git mailing list as replies to your patch, and you will
usually be
++Cc'ed in those replies.
++
++You are expected to respond by either explaining your code further to
convince
++the reviewer what you are doing is correct, or acknowledge the comments
and
++re-send the patches with those comments addressed.
++
++Some tips for those not familiar with communication on a mailing list:
++
++- Use only plain text emails. No HTML at all.
++- Wrap lines at around 75 characters.
++- Do not send attachments. If you do need to send some files, consider
using a
++ hosting service, and paste the link in your email.
++- Do not [top post](http://www.idallen.com/topposting.html).
++- Always "reply all". Keep all correspondents and the list in Cc. If you
reply
++ directly to a reviewer, and not Cc the list, other people would not be
able
++ to chime in.
README.md | 165 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 165 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 README.md
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f87d92f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+# Git GUI - A graphical user interface for Git
+
+Git GUI is a GUI for [Git](https://git-scm.com/) written in Tcl/Tk. It allows
+you to use the Git source control management tools via a GUI. This includes
+staging, commiting, adding, pushing, etc. It can also be used as a blame
+viewer, a tree browser, and a citool (make exactly one commit before exiting
+and returning to shell). More details about git-gui can be found in its manual
+page by either running `man git-gui`, or by visiting the [online manual
+page](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-gui).
+
+Git GUI was initially written by Shawn O. Pearce, and is distributed with the
+standard Git installation.
+
+# Building and installing
+
+Most of Git GUI is written in Tcl, so there is no compilation involved. Still,
+some things do need to be done (mostly some substitutions), so you do need to
+"build" it.
+
+You can build Git GUI using:
+
+```
+make
+```
+
+And then install it using:
+
+```
+make install
+```
+
+You probably need to have root/admin permissions to install.
+
+# Contributing
+
+The project is currently maintained by Pratyush Yadav over at
+https://github.com/prati0100/git-gui. Even though the project is hosted at
+GitHub, the development does not happen over GitHub Issues and Pull Requests.
+Instead, an email based workflow is used. The Git mailing list
+[git@vger.kernel.org](mailto:git@vger.kernel.org) is where the patches are
+discussed and reviewed.
+
+More information about the Git mailing list and instructions to subscribe can
+be found [here](https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/GitCommunity).
+
+## Sending your changes
+
+Since the development happens over email, you need to send in your commits in
+text format. Commits can be converted to emails via the two tools provided by
+Git: `git-send-email` and `git-format-patch`.
+
+You can use `git-format-patch` to generate patches in mbox format from your
+commits that can then be sent via email. Let's say you are working on a branch
+called 'foo' that was created on top of 'master'. You can run:
+
+```
+git format-patch -o output_dir master..foo
+```
+
+to convert all the extra commits in 'foo' into a set of patches saved in the
+folder `output_dir`.
+
+If you are sending multiple patches, it is recommended to include a cover
+letter. A cover letter is an email explaining in brief what the series is
+supposed to do. A cover letter template can be generated by passing
+`--cover-letter` to `git-format-patch`.
+
+After you send your patches, you might get a review suggesting some changes.
+Make those changes, and re-send your patch(es) in reply to the first patch of
+your initial version. Also please mention the version of the patch. This can be
+done by passing `-v X` to `git-format-patch`, where 'X' is the version number
+of the patch(es).
+
+### Using git-send-email
+
+You can use `git-send-email` to send patches generated via `git-format-patch`.
+While you can directly send patches via `git-send-email`, it is recommended
+that you first use `git-format-patch` to generate the emails, audit them, and
+then send them via `git-send-email`.
+
+A pretty good guide to configuring and using `git-send-email` can be found
+[here](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/HowToUseGitSendEmail/)
+
+### Using your email client
+
+If your email client supports sending mbox format emails, you can use
+`git-format-patch` to get an mbox file for each commit, and then send them. If
+there is more than one patch in the series, then all patches after the first
+patch (or the cover letter) need to be sent as replies to the first.
+`git-send-email` does this by default.
+
+### Using GitGitGadget
+
+Since some people prefer a GitHub pull request based workflow, they can use
+[GitGitGadget](https://gitgitgadget.github.io/) to send in patches. The tool
+was originally written for sending patches to the Git project, but it now also
+supports sending patches for git-gui.
+
+Instructions for using GitGitGadget to send git-gui patches, courtesy of
+Johannes Schindelin:
+
+If you don't already have a fork of the [git/git](https://github.com/git/git)
+repo, you need to make one. Then clone your fork:
+
+```
+git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/git
+```
+
+Then add GitGitGadget as a remote:
+
+```
+git remote add gitgitgadget https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git
+```
+
+Then fetch the git-gui branch:
+
+```
+git fetch gitgitgadget git-gui/master
+```
+
+Then create a new branch based on git-gui/master:
+
+```
+git checkout -b <your-branch-name> git-gui/master
+```
+
+Make whatever commits you need to, push them to your fork, and then head over
+to https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pulls and open a Pull Request targeting
+git-gui/master.
+
+GitGitGadget will welcome you with a (hopefully) helpful message.
+
+## Signing off
+
+You need to sign off your commits before sending them to the list. You can do
+that by passing the `-s` option to `git-commit`. You can also use the "Sign
+Off" option in Git GUI.
+
+A sign-off is a simple 'Signed-off-by: A U Thor \<aut...@example.com\>' line at
+the end of the commit message, after your explanation of the commit.
+
+A sign-off means that you are legally allowed to send the code, and it serves
+as a certificate of origin. More information can be found at
+[developercertificate.org](https://developercertificate.org/).
+
+## Responding to review comments
+
+It is quite likely your patches will get review comments. Those comments are
+sent on the Git mailing list as replies to your patch, and you will usually be
+Cc'ed in those replies.
+
+You are expected to respond by either explaining your code further to convince
+the reviewer what you are doing is correct, or acknowledge the comments and
+re-send the patches with those comments addressed.
+
+Some tips for those not familiar with communication on a mailing list:
+
+- Use only plain text emails. No HTML at all.
+- Wrap lines at around 75 characters.
+- Do not send attachments. If you do need to send some files, consider using a
+ hosting service, and paste the link in your email.
+- Do not [top post](http://www.idallen.com/topposting.html).
+- Always "reply all". Keep all correspondents and the list in Cc. If you reply
+ directly to a reviewer, and not Cc the list, other people would not be able
+ to chime in.
--
2.21.0
