From: J. Eric Ivancich <ivancich@redhat.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2017 16:51:52 +0000 (-0400)
Subject: Add a README to explain some of the nature of git subtrees and some of
X-Git-Tag: v12.0.3~143^2~2
X-Git-Url: http://git-server-git.apps.pok.os.sepia.ceph.com/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=d6b04e3db390f6df0276d6e56c5ef2281bffc0e6;p=ceph.git

Add a README to explain some of the nature of git subtrees and some of
the pitfalls surrounding them.

Signed-off-by: J. Eric Ivancich <ivancich@redhat.com>
---

diff --git a/README.git-subtree b/README.git-subtree
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..27fbc0a3c6a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.git-subtree
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+Some libraries that Ceph uses are incorporated into the build tree
+through a technique known as git subtrees. This is an alternative to
+git submodules, that is also used in Ceph.
+
+One such library is the dmclock library. Here are some basic notes on
+the use of git subtrees.
+
+When a subtree is added to the repo, commands such as these were run
+from the top-level ceph directory:
+
+    git subtree add --prefix src/dmclock \
+	git@github.com:ceph/dmclock.git master --squash
+
+That essentially brings in a full copy of the library into the
+subdirectory src/dmclock, but squashes all the commits into a single
+one.
+
+If in time the library is updated and you'd like to bring the updates
+in, you could run:
+
+    git subtree pull --prefix src/dmclock \
+        git@github.com:ceph/dmclock.git master --squash
+
+WARNINGS
+
+If you'd like to modify the library contained in a subtree it's likely
+best to modify it in the library's repo and then pull in the changes
+with "git subtree pull ..." (see above).
+
+IMPORTANT: If you modify the library within the ceph tree, then do NOT
+combined changes within the subtree and outside the subtree in a
+single commit. Each commit should either only contain changes within
+the subtree or outside the subtree. That gives you the option to
+cleanly push those changes back to the library's repo.
+
+IMPORTANT: If you do a rebase and the commits that are redone include
+the commits that encapsulate a "git subtree add ..." or "git subtree
+pull ..." you have to be VERY CAREFUL. Those commits lose the prefix
+and try to apply the changes to the wrong paths! Instead, you
+essentially have to do the rebase interactively, remove the commits
+for the subtree add/pull, and manually re-do them between the other
+commits. Some developers prefer not to even do a "git rebase ..." and
+instead cherry-pick the commits and manually do the subtree
+adds/pulls.