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[PATCH] Expand documentation describing --signoff

From
David A. Wheeler <dwheeler@dwheeler.com>
Date
Jan 5, 2016, 19:20 UTC
Message-ID
<E1aGX9e-0002m1-55@rmm6prod02.runbox.com>

Modify various document (man page) files to explain in more detail what --signoff means.

This was inspired by https://lwn.net/Articles/669976/ where paulj noted, "adding [the] '-s' argument to [a] git commit doesn't really mean you have even heard of the DCO...". Extending git's documentation will make it easier to argue that developers understood --signoff when they use it.

Signed-off-by: David A. Wheeler <dwheeler@dwheeler.com>
---
 Documentation/git-am.txt           | 1 +
 Documentation/git-cherry-pick.txt  | 1 +
 Documentation/git-commit.txt       | 6 +++++-
 Documentation/git-format-patch.txt | 1 +
 Documentation/git-revert.txt       | 1 +
 5 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-am.txt b/Documentation/git-am.txt
index 452c1fe..13cdd7f 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-am.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-am.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ OPTIONS
 --signoff::
 	Add a `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using
 	the committer identity of yourself.
+	See the signoff option in linkgit:git-commit[1] for more information.
 
 -k::
 --keep::
diff --git a/Documentation/git-cherry-pick.txt b/Documentation/git-cherry-pick.txt
index 77da29a..6154e57 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-cherry-pick.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-cherry-pick.txt
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ effect to your index in a row.
 -s::
 --signoff::
 	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
+	See the signoff option in linkgit:git-commit[1] for more information.
 
 -S[<keyid>]::
 --gpg-sign[=<keyid>]::
diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
index 7f34a5b..9ec6b3c 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
@@ -154,7 +154,11 @@ OPTIONS
 -s::
 --signoff::
 	Add Signed-off-by line by the committer at the end of the commit
-	log message.
+	log message.  The meaning of a signoff depends on the project,
+	but it typically certifies that committer has
+	the rights to submit this work under the same license and
+	agrees to a Developer Certificate of Origin
+	(see http://developercertificate.org/ for more information).
 
 -n::
 --no-verify::
diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
index e3cdaeb..b149e09 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ include::diff-options.txt[]
 --signoff::
 	Add `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using
 	the committer identity of yourself.
+	See the signoff option in linkgit:git-commit[1] for more information.
 
 --stdout::
 	Print all commits to the standard output in mbox format,
diff --git a/Documentation/git-revert.txt b/Documentation/git-revert.txt
index b15139f..573616a 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-revert.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-revert.txt
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ effect to your index in a row.
 -s::
 --signoff::
 	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
+	See the signoff option in linkgit:git-commit[1] for more information.
 
 --strategy=<strategy>::
 	Use the given merge strategy.  Should only be used once.
-- 
2.5.3
Next: Junio C Hamano
Message 1 of 2 in “Expand documentation describing --signoff”
  1. Expand documentation describing --signoffDavid A. Wheeler, Jan 5, 2016
  2. Junio C HamanoJan 5, 2016

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