Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation/process: add soc maintainer handbook

From: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
To: Conor Dooley <conor.dooley@microchip.com>, soc@kernel.org
Cc: conor@kernel.org, conor.dooley@microchip.com,
	devicetree@vger.kernel.org, krzysztof.kozlowski+dt@linaro.org,
	linux-arm-kernel@lists.infradead.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-riscv@lists.infradead.org,
	olof@lixom.net, palmer@dabbelt.com, robh+dt@kernel.org,
	arnd@arndb.de
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation/process: add soc maintainer handbook
Date: Tue, 30 May 2023 07:02:26 -0600	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <87bki23rbx.fsf@meer.lwn.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20230530-multiple-whooping-ee5706fceb67@wendy>

Conor Dooley <conor.dooley@microchip.com> writes:

> Arnd suggested that adding a maintainer handbook for the SoC "subsystem"
> would be helpful in trying to bring on board maintainers for the various
> new platforms cropping up in RISC-V land.
>
> Add a document briefly describing the role of the SoC subsystem and some
> basic advice for (new) platform maintainers.
>
> Suggested-by: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
> Signed-off-by: Conor Dooley <conor.dooley@microchip.com>
> ---
> Changes in v2:
> - add Krzysztof's suggested method for avoiding inter-branch
>   dependencies
> - explicitly mention that tags should be signed
> - link to the devicetree abi document, rather than trying to explain it
>   here & reword that whole section
> - fix some typos, capitalisation & unify bullet style
>
> The devicetree abi doc feels quite out of date at this point, and could
> probably do with a spring clean - but it also feels like hallowed ground
> on which one should tread lightly, so I won't go near that til Rob is
> back.

So, this is a nit, but worth considering...

>  Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst     |   2 +
>  .../devicetree/bindings/writing-schema.rst    |   2 +
>  .../process/maintainer-handbooks.rst          |   3 +-
>  Documentation/process/maintainer-soc.rst      | 178 ++++++++++++++++++
>  MAINTAINERS                                   |   1 +
>  5 files changed, 185 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>  create mode 100644 Documentation/process/maintainer-soc.rst
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst
> index a885713cf184..93ec82f78ae5 100644
> --- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst
> @@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
>  .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
>  
> +.. _devicetree-abi:

Somehow we've developed this habit of putting labels at the top of each
file; I really think that they just add clutter and are best left out.
Without the label, this reference:

> +Perhaps one of the most important things to highlight is that dt-bindings
> +document the ABI between the devicetree and the kernel. Please see
> +:ref:`devicetree-abi` more information on the ABI.

...can just be written as "Please see
Documentation/devicetree/bindings/ABI.rst".  The cross-reference link
will be generated as expected, and readers of the plain-text docs don't
have to go grepping to find the reference.

Thanks,

jon