From 189b1543cbc2db50e6dd309e84bce4eb503f0493 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ludovic Courtès Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 15:24:37 +0200 Subject: doc: Mention separate branch for packages with many dependents. Suggested by ng0 . * doc/contributing.texi (Submitting Patches): Add note on packages with more than 100 dependents. --- doc/contributing.texi | 7 +++++++ 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+) diff --git a/doc/contributing.texi b/doc/contributing.texi index c0755bb895..6496e10a14 100644 --- a/doc/contributing.texi +++ b/doc/contributing.texi @@ -300,6 +300,13 @@ For important changes, check that dependent package (if applicable) are not affected by the change; @code{guix refresh --list-dependent @var{package}} will help you do that (@pxref{Invoking guix refresh}). +Packages with roughly 100 dependents or more usually have to be +committed to a separate branch. That branch can then be built +separately by our build farm, and later merged into @code{master} once +everything has been successfully built. This allows us to fix issues +before they hit users, and to reduce the window during which pre-built +binaries are not available. + @item @cindex determinism, of build processes @cindex reproducible builds, checking -- cgit 1.4.1