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Initial release of kernel patch validator v1.0.0
This validator helps avoid common mistakes that mark contributors as novices. Created after real experience with patch rejections and maintainer feedback. Features: - Automated patch validation (12+ checks) - Quick sanity checks for common errors - Interactive pre-send checklist - Complete documentation and guides - Templates for commits and emails - Git integration and aliases - GitHub Actions support Every check represents a real mistake that was made and learned from. Signed-off-by: Ignacio Pena <ignacio.pena87@gmail.com>
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‎.github/workflows/validate-patches.yml‎

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name: Validate Kernel Patches
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on:
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pull_request:
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paths:
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- '**.patch'
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push:
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paths:
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- '**.patch'
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jobs:
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validate:
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runs-on: ubuntu-latest
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steps:
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- uses: actions/checkout@v3
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- name: Set up kernel repository
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run: |
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git clone --depth=1 https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git kernel
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- name: Find and validate patches
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run: |
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echo "=== Finding patch files ==="
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find . -name "*.patch" -type f | while read patch; do
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echo ""
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echo "Validating: $patch"
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./scripts/validate-patch.sh "$patch" "$PWD/kernel" || true
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done
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- name: Summary
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if: always()
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run: |
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echo ""
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echo "=== Validation Complete ==="
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echo "Check the output above for any errors or warnings."
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echo "RED errors must be fixed before sending!"
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echo "YELLOW warnings should be considered."

‎.gitignore‎

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# Ignore common patch files
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*.patch
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*.orig
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*.rej
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# Ignore temporary files
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/tmp/
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*.tmp
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*.log
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*.out
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*.err
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# Ignore OS files
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.DS_Store
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Thumbs.db
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# Ignore IDE files
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.vscode/
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.idea/
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*.swp
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*.swo
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# Ignore backup files
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*~
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*.bak

‎CHANGELOG.md‎

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# Changelog
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## [1.0.0] - 2024-07-16
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### Added
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- Initial release of kernel patch validator
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- Full patch validation with 12+ checks
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- Quick sanity check for common errors
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- Interactive pre-send checklist
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- Complete documentation guides
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- Email response templates
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- Git aliases and configuration
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- GitHub Actions integration
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- Automatic installer script
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### Features
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- Detects future date bugs (2025)
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- Validates Signed-off-by lines
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- Checks subject line format
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- Verifies changelog placement for v2+ patches
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- Validates Fixes: tag format
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- Checks Cc: stable format
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- Runs checkpatch.pl integration
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- Tests patch applies cleanly
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- Detects mixed changes (single purpose rule)
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- Analyzes commit message quality
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- Identifies novice patterns
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- Suggests proper maintainers
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### Documentation
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- Complete contribution guide
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- Anti-patterns reference
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- Quick reference card
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- Installation instructions
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- Templates for commits and emails
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### Templates
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- Perfect commit message format
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- Professional email responses
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- Cover letter structure
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This validator was created after experiencing multiple patch rejections
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and learning from maintainer feedback. It embodies the lessons learned
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from real kernel development experience.

‎INSTALL.sh‎

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#!/bin/bash
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# Quick installer for kernel patch validator
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echo "Installing Kernel Patch Validator..."
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# Add to PATH
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if ! grep -q "kernel-patch-validator/scripts" ~/.bashrc; then
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echo 'export PATH="$HOME/kernel-patch-validator/scripts:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
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echo "✓ Added to PATH"
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fi
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# Add git aliases
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if ! grep -q "gitconfig.kernel" ~/.gitconfig; then
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echo "[include]" >> ~/.gitconfig
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echo " path = ~/.gitconfig.kernel" >> ~/.gitconfig
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cp ~/.gitconfig.kernel.bak ~/.gitconfig.kernel 2>/dev/null || true
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echo "✓ Added git aliases"
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fi
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# Create symlinks for easy access
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ln -sf ~/kernel-patch-validator/scripts/validate-patch.sh ~/bin/kvalidate 2>/dev/null || true
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ln -sf ~/kernel-patch-validator/scripts/quick-check.sh ~/bin/kcheck 2>/dev/null || true
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ln -sf ~/kernel-patch-validator/scripts/pre-send-checklist.sh ~/bin/kchecklist 2>/dev/null || true
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echo ""
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echo "Installation complete!"
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echo ""
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echo "Available commands:"
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echo " kvalidate <patch> - Full validation"
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echo " kcheck <patch> - Quick sanity check"
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echo " kchecklist - Interactive pre-send checklist"
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echo ""
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echo "Git aliases added:"
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echo " git validate <patch> - Run validator"
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echo " git precheck <patch> - Quick check"
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echo " git fp - Format patch"
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echo " git se - Send email"
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echo ""
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echo "Restart your shell or run: source ~/.bashrc"

‎LICENSE‎

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GPL-2.0 License
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Copyright (C) 2024 Ignacio Peña
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This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
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it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
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the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
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(at your option) any later version.
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This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
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but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
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MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
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GNU General Public License for more details.
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You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
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with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
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51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.

‎README.md‎

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# Kernel Patch Validator
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[![License: GPL v2](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPL%20v2-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html)
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[![GitHub Issues](https://img.shields.io/github/issues/ipenas-cl/kernel-patch-validator)](https://github.com/ipenas-cl/kernel-patch-validator/issues)
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Never send a bad patch again! This toolkit helps you validate patches before sending them to Linux kernel mailing lists.
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Born from real experience of patch rejections and maintainer feedback, this validator catches the common mistakes that immediately mark you as a novice contributor.
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## Quick Start
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```bash
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# Validate a single patch
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./scripts/validate-patch.sh my-patch.patch
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# Run interactive pre-send checklist
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./scripts/pre-send-checklist.sh
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# Create patch with template
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cp templates/commit-message.template my-commit.txt
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# Edit my-commit.txt, then:
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git commit -F my-commit.txt
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```
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## Directory Structure
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```
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kernel-patch-validator/
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├── docs/
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│ ├── KERNEL_CONTRIBUTION_GUIDE.md # Complete guide
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│ ├── KERNEL_ANTIPATTERNS.md # What NOT to do
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│ └── KERNEL_QUICK_REFERENCE.md # Quick reference
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├── scripts/
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│ ├── validate-patch.sh # Automated validator
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│ └── pre-send-checklist.sh # Interactive checklist
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├── templates/
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│ ├── commit-message.template # Perfect commit message
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│ ├── email-response.template # How to reply to reviews
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│ └── cover-letter.template # For patch series
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└── README.md # This file
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```
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## Features
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### validate-patch.sh
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Automated checks for:
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- ✓ Future dates (2025 bug)
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- ✓ Signed-off-by presence
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- ✓ Subject line format
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- ✓ Version changelog placement
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- ✓ Fixes: tag format
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- ✓ Cc: stable format
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- ✓ checkpatch.pl compliance
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- ✓ Patch applies cleanly
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- ✓ Single purpose patches
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- ✓ Commit message quality
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- ✓ Novice patterns detection
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### pre-send-checklist.sh
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Interactive checklist covering:
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- Basic sanity checks
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- Patch quality
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- Format requirements
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- Recipient validation
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- Timing considerations
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- Final preparations
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## Common Workflows
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### Single Patch
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```bash
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# 1. Create your patch
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git format-patch -1
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# 2. Validate it
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./scripts/validate-patch.sh 0001-my-patch.patch
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# 3. Find maintainers
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./scripts/get_maintainer.pl 0001-my-patch.patch
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# 4. Run final checklist
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./scripts/pre-send-checklist.sh
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# 5. Send it
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git send-email --to="maintainer@example.com" 0001-my-patch.patch
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```
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### Patch Series (v2)
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```bash
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# 1. Create series with cover letter
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git format-patch -3 --cover-letter -v2
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# 2. Edit cover letter using template
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cp templates/cover-letter.template v2-0000-cover-letter.patch
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# Edit...
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# 3. Validate each patch
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for patch in v2-*.patch; do
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./scripts/validate-patch.sh "$patch"
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done
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# 4. Send series
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git send-email --to="maintainer@example.com" v2-*.patch
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```
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### Responding to Review
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```bash
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# Use the template
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cp templates/email-response.template response.txt
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# Edit response.txt with your replies
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# Send using your email client (keep plain text!)
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```
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## Installation
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/ipenas-cl/kernel-patch-validator.git ~/kernel-patch-validator
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# Run the installer
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cd ~/kernel-patch-validator
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./INSTALL.sh
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# Restart your shell or source your bashrc
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source ~/.bashrc
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```
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## Tips
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1. **Always validate before sending** - It takes 30 seconds and saves embarrassment
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2. **Use templates** - Don't write commit messages from scratch
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3. **Read the docs** - Especially KERNEL_ANTIPATTERNS.md
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4. **Be patient** - Wait 24h between versions, 1 week before pinging
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5. **Test everything** - "Compile tested only" = "I'm lazy"
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## The Golden Rules
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1. One logical change per patch
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2. Explain WHY, not WHAT
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3. Use git send-email (no attachments!)
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4. Run checkpatch.pl --strict
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5. Actually test your changes
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6. Check your system date isn't 2025
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7. Put v2+ changelogs after ---
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8. Use get_maintainer.pl for recipients
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9. Wait patiently for reviews
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10. Thank reviewers, even harsh ones
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## Troubleshooting
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**"Patch contains future date (2025)"**
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- Fix your system date/time
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- Regenerate the patch
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**"checkpatch.pl failed"**
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- Read /tmp/checkpatch.out
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- Fix ALL warnings for staging drivers
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- Use --strict for best results
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**"Patch doesn't apply cleanly"**
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- Wrong base tree?
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- Rebase on latest upstream
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- Check git remote configuration
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## Contributing
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Found a bug or have a suggestion? Please contribute!
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1. Fork the repository
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2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
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3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
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4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
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5. Open a Pull Request
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This toolkit is meant to help everyone avoid novice mistakes.
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## Inspiration
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This validator was created after experiencing real patch rejections from Linux kernel maintainers including:
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- Dan Carpenter's feedback on patch quality
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- Greg KH's automated responses about patch format
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- Multiple v2, v3, v4+ iterations learning the process
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Every check in this validator represents a real mistake that was made and learned from.
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## License
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GPL-2.0 (same as Linux kernel) - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file.
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## Acknowledgments
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- Linux kernel maintainers for their patience with novice contributors
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- The kernel documentation team for comprehensive guides
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- The staging tree maintainers for providing a learning environment
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---
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Remember: It's better to be slow and correct than fast and wrong!

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