Few questions about submitting patches

Few questions about submitting patches

[Rao Shoaib]

I am new to Linux. I would like to understand the rules and etiquettes 
of engaging with the community. I have read the materials that I could 
find. As I work with Linux I come across situations for which I can not 
seem to find any answers. Hopefully folks on the list can answer them.

* Submitting an RFC Patch

As I understand, an RFC patch is submitted to solicit comments and is 
not for inclusion. Is it sufficient for an RFC patch to have the correct 
coding style and compile, or does it need more? For example, If the 
patch consists of a series of patches, does each patch have to compile 
independently etc etc.

* #ifdef FOO

In a regular patch consisting of a series of patches, can the above 
#ifdef be used in a patch before the patch that allows the selection of 
FOO. That patch is part of the series but comes later.

Regards,

Shoaib

Re: Few questions about submitting patches

[David Miller]

From: Rao Shoaib <rao.shoaib@oracle.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 09:41:13 -0700

> I am new to Linux. I would like to understand the rules and etiquettes
> of engaging with the community. I have read the materials that I could
> find. As I work with Linux I come across situations for which I can
> not seem to find any answers. Hopefully folks on the list can answer
> them.
> 
> * Submitting an RFC Patch
> 
> As I understand, an RFC patch is submitted to solicit comments and is
> not for inclusion. Is it sufficient for an RFC patch to have the
> correct coding style and compile, or does it need more? For example,
> If the patch consists of a series of patches, does each patch have to
> compile independently etc etc.

It should build and function, unless you explicitly state that the
patch is not build nor functionally tested and is intended to show
the design of the change.

> * #ifdef FOO
> 
> In a regular patch consisting of a series of patches, can the above
> #ifdef be used in a patch before the patch that allows the selection
> of FOO. That patch is part of the series but comes later.

It is better to introduce them at the same time.

But if it is prohibitively difficult to do so, yet at the same
time properly split up your changes into manageable pieces, it
can be OK.

It is definitely determined on a case by case basis.