GNU bug report logs - #48696
[PATCH 0/3] Documenting commit reverts and revocation

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From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: 48696 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Subject: [bug#48696] [PATCH 2/3] doc: Add "Addressing Mistakes" section.
Date: Thu, 27 May 2021 14:35:53 +0200

* doc/contributing.texi (Addressing Mistakes): New section.
---
 doc/contributing.texi | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+)

diff --git a/doc/contributing.texi b/doc/contributing.texi
index 7dc912b4de..8308551261 100644
--- a/doc/contributing.texi
+++ b/doc/contributing.texi
@@ -1402,6 +1402,40 @@ you're confident, it's OK to commit.
 That last part is subject to being adjusted, allowing individuals to commit
 directly on non-controversial changes on parts they’re familiar with.
 
+@subsection Addressing Mistakes
+
+We all make mistakes.  We expect peer review (@pxref{Submitting
+Patches}) and tools such as @command{guix lint} (@pxref{Invoking guix
+lint}) and the test suite (@pxref{Running the Test Suite}) to catch
+issues before they are pushed; yet, mistakes might go through---that
+happens to both newcomers and old-timers, and there is nothing to be
+ashamed of when it happens.  As a community, we expect committers to
+recognize and address mistakes as soon as possible.
+
+Some mistakes can directly affect all users---for instance because they
+make @command{guix pull} fail or break core functionality, because they
+break major packages (at build time or run time), or because they
+introduce known security vulnerabilities.
+
+@cindex reverting commits
+The person who pushed the faulty commit(s) should be at the forefront to
+address such an issue in a timely fashion: by pushing a followup commit
+to fix it (if possible), or by reverting it to leave time to come up
+with a proper fix, and by communicating with other developers about the
+problem.
+
+If the committer is unavailable to address the issue in time, other
+committers are entitled to revert the offending commit(s), explaining in
+the commit log and on the mailing list what the problem was, with the
+goal of leaving time to the original committer and author(s) to propose
+a way forward.
+
+The Guix project values friendly cooperation and a constant effort to
+focus on the way forward when issues arise.  Committers should lead by
+example, notably as a way to encourage contributors and contributors to
+be.  Blame as well as defensiveness do not have their place in Guix when
+addressing genuine mistakes.
+
 @subsection Commit Revocation
 
 In order to reduce the possibility of mistakes, committers will have
-- 
2.31.1

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