Re: [PATCH] scripts: kconfig: merge_config.sh: keep temp file in the output dir

[Nicolas Schier <nsc@kernel.org>]

On Wed, Jul 08, 2026 at 04:04:54AM -0700, Gustavo Luiz Duarte wrote:
> merge_config.sh currently creates a temporary file in the current
> directory. Create it under $OUTPUT instead, which allows running the
> script against a read-only source tree.
> 
> The default behavior is unchanged: $OUTPUT is "." so the file stays in
> the cwd.

Out of curiosity: in which situation do you need this fix?

> 
> Signed-off-by: Gustavo Luiz Duarte <gustavold@gmail.com>
> ---
>  scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh b/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
> index f08e0863b7128..a63250d4cbf12 100755
> --- a/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
> +++ b/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
> @@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ fi
>  
>  MERGE_LIST=$*
>  
> -TMP_FILE=$(mktemp ./.tmp.config.XXXXXXXXXX)
> +TMP_FILE=$(mktemp "$OUTPUT/.tmp.config.XXXXXXXXXX")

<bike-shedding>
While this does as written in the commit message, I'd rather expected
something like

 mktemp --tmpdir="$OUTPUT" .tmp.config.XXXXXXXXXX

instead.
</bike-shedding>


When I am reading the help text for merge_config.sh's '-O', I think we
should adjust the default output directory as well:

  -O    dir to put generated output files.  Consider setting $KCONFIG_CONFIG instead.

With a read-only source tree in mind, KCONFIG_CONFIG probably has to be
set, otherwise we'd not need to put the temporary file somewhere else.
Might it be more consistent to use $(dirname ${KBUILD_KCONFIG}) as
default for OUTPUT instead of '.'?

So, once again: in which situation do you need the fix?  Is it really
sufficient as it is?


Nevertheless, I think it's a good idea, thanks for the patch.

Kind regards,
Nicolas