threads / discuss / 56966

"format-patch" command doesn't support SSH signing

Subject: "format-patch" command doesn't support SSH signing

## tl;dr

4 messages between Nov 23, 2021 and Nov 24, 2021.

replies: 3people: 4as markdown or json

Marcos Alano· Nov 23, 2021, 13:04 UTC · lore

Hello,

I was trying to generate a patch to send to a project (Linux specifically) but when I generate the patch using "format-patch" I saw there was no "Signed-Off" line, but my commit is signed using SSH. My git version is the latest, 2.34.

Thank you.

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason· Nov 23, 2021, 16:02 UTC · re: Marcos Alano · lore

Re: "format-patch" command doesn't support SSH signing

On Tue, Nov 23 2021, Marcos Alano wrote:

Show 6 quoted lines

> Hello,
>
> I was trying to generate a patch to send to a project (Linux
> specifically) but when I generate the patch using "format-patch" I saw 
> there was no "Signed-Off" line, but my commit is signed using SSH. My
> git version is the latest, 2.34.

The Signed-off-by in commit messages doesn't have anything to do with SSH, GPG etc. signing, it's just a way of signaling that you're the author of the change, and/or can certify it as being includable in the project for authorship & copyright reasons. It's mostly used in linux.git and git.git, see a "git grep Signed-off-by" in those for more details.

Johannes Schindelin· Nov 23, 2021, 16:14 UTC · re: Marcos Alano · lore

Re: "format-patch" command doesn't support SSH signing

Hi Marcos,

On Tue, 23 Nov 2021, Marcos Alano wrote:

> I was trying to generate a patch to send to a project (Linux specifically) but
> when I generate the patch using "format-patch" I saw there was no "Signed-Off"
> line, but my commit is signed using SSH. My git version is the latest, 2.34.

A "Sign-off" is a convention for the commit message, but _signing a commit_ is a cryptographic signature. They are two different things.

You can add the "Signed-off-by:" trailers via `git format-patch`'s `--signoff` option: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-format-patch#Documentation/git-format-patch.txt---signoff

Ciao, Johannes

Junio C Hamano· Nov 24, 2021, 00:49 UTC · re: Marcos Alano · lore

Re: "format-patch" command doesn't support SSH signing

Marcos Alano <marcoshalano@gmail.com> writes:

> I was trying to generate a patch to send to a project (Linux
> specifically) but when I generate the patch using "format-patch" I saw 
> there was no "Signed-Off" line, but my commit is signed using SSH. My
> git version is the latest, 2.34.

Sign-off in Linux kernel project is to certify that you have the right to contribute the change to the project under Developers certificate of origin. I believe in thier project, the document in Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst describes the process (look for "Sign your work")

The "commit -s" signing has nothing to do with it. It may prove it was written by the key holder, but it does not prevent the key holder to steal intellectual property from their employer and contribute it as if it is their own, and Sign-off exists as a separate procedure to have you raise your right hand and swear that your contribution is kosher wrt DCO.