docs/devel/code-provenance.rst

1 .. _code-provenance:
17    Signed-off-by: YOUR NAME <YOUR@EMAIL>
30       have the right to submit it under the open source license
35       license and I have the right under that license to submit that
47       personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
51 The name used with "Signed-off-by" does not need to be your legal name, nor
57 ``Signed-off-by`` lines, matches that of the git commit ``Author`` field.
63 nonetheless expected to add their own ``Signed-off-by`` to comply with the
70 this scenario, git commits will usually be expected to have a ``Signed-off-by``
73   * The non-primary author's contributions were so trivial that they can be
75     need not include a ``Signed-off-by``.
79     their own ``Signed-off-by`` added unless their code suggestion was
80     unusually large, but it is common to add ``Suggested-by`` as a credit
81     for non-trivial code.
86     It can be said that in this case a ``Signed-off-by`` is indicating that
89     ``Signed-off-by`` for each contributor, as in some countries employees are
93 When multiple ``Signed-off-by`` tags are present, they should be strictly kept
99 While the ``Signed-off-by`` tag is mandatory, there are a number of other tags
102  * **``Reviewed-by``**: when a QEMU community member reviews a patch on the
104    email reply containing a ``Reviewed-by`` tag. Subsystem maintainers who
106    ``Signed-off-by`` to the same commit.
108  * **``Acked-by``**: when a QEMU subsystem maintainer approves a patch that
111    ``Acked-by`` tag. Where a patch touches multiple subsystems, ``Acked-by``
114    a ``Reviewed-by`` tag.
116  * **``Tested-by``**: when a QEMU community member has functionally tested the
118    containing a ``Tested-by`` tag.
120  * **``Reported-by``**: when a QEMU community member reports a problem via the
122    it is good practice to credit them by including a ``Reported-by`` tag on
127  * **``Suggested-by``**: when a reviewer or other 3rd party makes non-trivial
129    by including a ``Suggested-by`` tag.
136 suitable ``Signed-off-by`` tags.
139 **must** also then add their own ``Signed-off-by`` to indicate that they have
141 ``Reviewed-by`` tags the subsystem maintainer may wish to include.
145 commit message, just prior to the maintainer's ``Signed-off-by``::
147     Signed-off-by: Cory Contributor <cory.contributor@example.com>
149     Signed-off-by: Mary Maintainer <mary.maintainer@mycorp.test>
152 Tools for adding ``Signed-off-by``
155 There are a variety of ways tools can support adding ``Signed-off-by`` tags
162 When creating, or amending, a commit the ``-s`` flag to ``git commit`` will
165 If preparing patches using the ``git format-patch`` tool, the ``-s`` flag can
169   git rebase master -x 'git commit --amend --no-edit -s'
178   (define-abbrev-table 'global-abbrev-table
180       ("8rev" "Reviewed-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>" nil 1)
181       ("8ack" "Acked-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>" nil 1)
182       ("8test" "Tested-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>" nil 1)
183       ("8sob" "Signed-off-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>" nil 1)
194   iabbrev 8rev Reviewed-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>
195   iabbrev 8ack Acked-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>
196   iabbrev 8test Tested-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>
197   iabbrev 8sob Signed-off-by: YOUR NAME <your@email.addr>
202 Re-starting abandoned work
207 continue working from the abandoned patch and re-submit it with extra changes.
212    original ``Signed-off-by``
216    ``Signed-off-by`` in the patch in addition to the orignal author's
219    ``Signed-off-by``::
221     Signed-off-by: Some Person <some.person@example.com>
223     Signed-off-by: New Person <new.person@mycorp.test>
244 process. A non-exhaustive list of examples is:
251  * Firmware: QEMU includes pre-compiled binary ROMs for a variety of guest
257    with the libvirt-ci git submodule link. The generated dockerfiles are
264    provided. This is a time-limited exception until the eBPF toolchain is
268 and justified in the commit that introduces them.
297 The increasing prevalence of AI-assisted software development results in a
309 ill-defined with no generally accepted, settled legal foundation.
319 not willing or able to accept the legal risks of non-compliance.