From: Elijah Newren Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:48:41 GMT Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] commit: document that $command.signoff will not be added Message-ID: In-Reply-To: On Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM Junio C Hamano wrote: > > Every now and then we see this coming up on the list. Let's help > new contributors who are not aware of past discussions by clearly > documenting our past consensus. > > Helped-by: brian m. carlson > Helped-by: Elijah Newren > Helped-by: Johannes Sixt > Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano > --- > * The text is from Elijah and Johannes this round; I am merely > playing a copybot. The text was derived from what you wrote, though... > Documentation/gitfaq.adoc | 19 +++++++++++++++++++ > Documentation/signoff-option.adoc | 4 ++++ > 2 files changed, 23 insertions(+) > > diff --git c/Documentation/gitfaq.adoc w/Documentation/gitfaq.adoc > index f2917d142c..0e40befb77 100644 > --- c/Documentation/gitfaq.adoc > +++ w/Documentation/gitfaq.adoc > @@ -83,6 +83,25 @@ Windows would be the configuration `"C:\Program Files\Vim\gvim.exe" --nofork`, > which quotes the filename with spaces and specifies the `--nofork` option to > avoid backgrounding the process. > > +[[sign-off]] > +Why not have `commit.signoff` and other configuration variables?:: > + Git intentionally does not (and will not) provide a > + configuration variable, such as `commit.signoff`, to > + automatically add `--signoff` by default. The reason is to > + protect the legal and intentional significance of a sign-off. > + If there were more automated and widely publicized ways for > + sign-offs to be appended, it would become easier for someone > + to argue later that a "Signed-off-by" trailer was just added > + out of habit or by automation, without the committer's full > + awareness or intent to certify their agreement with the > + Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) or a similar statement. > + This could undermine the sign-off’s credibility in legal or > + contractual situations. > ++ > +There exists `format.signoff`, but that is a historical mistake, and > +it is not an excuse to pile on more mistakes of the same kind on top. > + > + > Credentials > ----------- > > diff --git c/Documentation/signoff-option.adoc w/Documentation/signoff-option.adoc > index cddfb225d1..9a80d60f1b 100644 > --- c/Documentation/signoff-option.adoc > +++ w/Documentation/signoff-option.adoc > @@ -16,3 +16,7 @@ endif::git-commit[] > + > The `--no-signoff` option can be used to countermand an earlier `--signoff` > option on the command line. > ++ > +Git does not (and will not) have a configuration variable to enable > +the `--signoff` command line option by default; see the > +`commit.signoff` entry in the gitfaq for more details. I like Johannes' edits to the text I had; this commit looks good to me.