OK, good news, I think I'm near being done!

> Next on my list (in random order):
> 
>   - Provide a way to call the script which sends updates to bugzilla
> 
>   - Add a post-receive hook which we would call at the end
>     of our post-receive hook. This hook would then allow us
>     to the irker hook, for IRC notification.
> 
>   - Add an option to include a URL of the commit in the emails.
> 
>   - Merge commit control.

All the above have been done :)

>   - Verify compatibility of the new hooks with the git version
>     installed on sourceware.org.

This is where thing didn't go as well as I had hoped. I found that
working with the versions of Python and git installed on sourceware
would be too hard. So I sent an email to overseers to discuss solution
about using newer versions. I don't think it'll take very long to
resolve.

> Once that's done, I think all features provided by the current hooks
> will also be available in the new hooks, so we'll be able to start
> working on the integration.

I *think* I have everything covered if we use the config shown below
(full doc: https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/proposed/git-hooks/UsersGuide).
It handles:
  - dynamic computation of the email list (by attached email_to.py script).
  - rejection of merge commits on branch master and all GDB release branches.
  - filing of commits in bugzilla.
  - irker notification

|[hooks]
|        from-domain = sourceware.org
|        mailinglist = /git/binutils-gdb.git/hooks-bin/email_to.py
|
|        # We do not want to force a maximum line length in commit
|        # revision logs, as they get in the way of copy-pasting
|        # debugging session, error messages, logs, etc.
|        max-rh-line-length = 0
|
|        # Reject merge commits on a certain number of branches:
|        #  - on master: We request that people rebase their changes
|        #    before pushing instead (merge commits tend to confuse
|        #    git newcommers).
|        #  - on GDB release branches: There is a high risk that a merge
|        #    commit is a merge from master into the branch, which would
|        #    bring a lot more than what the user probably meant to push.
|        #    Request that the user cherry-pick his changes.
|        reject-merge-commits = refs/heads/master, refs/heads/gdb-.*
|
|        # The style checker, applied to the contents of each file being
|        # modified.
|        style-checker = /git/binutils-gdb.git/hooks-bin/style_checker
|
|        # The URL where we can inspect the commit, inserted in the commit
|        # notification email, and also copy sent to the file-commit-cmd.
|        commit-url = "https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=%(rev)s"
|
|        # Do not send emails for the following branches (unofficial
|        # third-party branches).
|        # FIXME: It would be nice to move the "hjl" branches to /user/.
|        no-emails = /refs/heads/hjl/.*, /refs/heads/user/.*
|
|        # Send a copy to bugzilla if a commit has a PR number in it.
|        file-commit-cmd = /sourceware/infra/bin/email-to-bugzilla -G "gdb binutils"
|        # The script that calls the irker (IRC notification of new
|        # commits).
|        post-receive-hook = /git/binutils-gdb.git/hooks-bin/post-receive

Note that this also introduces a "style checker", which is a script
called to check the contents of each and every file being modfied by
a given commit. At the moment, the script does nothing, but we could
imagine checking things like copyright headers, style violations; and
this checking can very well be dependent on the type of file.  But
that's a project on its own for which I won't have time. If someone
implements something, I'll integrate it!

Timeline:
=========

If people are happy with the above, when do we want to transition.
I feel the best time for me would be during the Xmas break.
How do people feel about me doing the transition sometime after
Monday Dec 29th?

Reminder: hooks sources at https://gitorious.org/githooks

-- 
Joel