[(--attach|--inline)[=<boundary>] | --no-attach]
[-s | --signoff]
[--signature=<signature> | --no-signature]
+ [--signature-file=<file>]
[-n | --numbered | -N | --no-numbered]
[--start-number <n>] [--numbered-files]
[--in-reply-to=Message-Id] [--suffix=.<sfx>]
[--ignore-if-in-upstream]
- [--subject-prefix=Subject-Prefix]
+ [--rfc] [--subject-prefix=Subject-Prefix]
+ [(--reroll-count|-v) <n>]
[--to=<email>] [--cc=<email>]
- [--cover-letter] [--quiet]
+ [--[no-]cover-letter] [--quiet] [--notes[=<ref>]]
+ [--progress]
[<common diff options>]
[ <since> | <revision range> ]
output, unless the `--stdout` option is specified.
If `-o` is specified, output files are created in <dir>. Otherwise
-they are created in the current working directory.
+they are created in the current working directory. The default path
+can be set with the `format.outputDirectory` configuration option.
+The `-o` option takes precedence over `format.outputDirectory`.
+To store patches in the current working directory even when
+`format.outputDirectory` points elsewhere, use `-o .`.
By default, the subject of a single patch is "[PATCH] " followed by
the concatenation of lines from the commit message up to the first blank
--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,
`--in-reply-to`, and the first patch mail, in this order. 'deep'
threading makes every mail a reply to the previous one.
+
-The default is `--no-thread`, unless the 'format.thread' configuration
+The default is `--no-thread`, unless the `format.thread` configuration
is set. If `--thread` is specified without a style, it defaults to the
-style specified by 'format.thread' if any, or else `shallow`.
+style specified by `format.thread` if any, or else `shallow`.
+
Beware that the default for 'git send-email' is to thread emails
itself. If you want `git format-patch` to take care of threading, you
allows for useful naming of a patch series, and can be
combined with the `--numbered` option.
+--rfc::
+ Alias for `--subject-prefix="RFC PATCH"`. RFC means "Request For
+ Comments"; use this when sending an experimental patch for
+ discussion rather than application.
+
+-v <n>::
+--reroll-count=<n>::
+ Mark the series as the <n>-th iteration of the topic. The
+ output filenames have `v<n>` prepended to them, and the
+ subject prefix ("PATCH" by default, but configurable via the
+ `--subject-prefix` option) has ` v<n>` appended to it. E.g.
+ `--reroll-count=4` may produce `v4-0001-add-makefile.patch`
+ file that has "Subject: [PATCH v4 1/20] Add makefile" in it.
+
--to=<email>::
Add a `To:` header to the email headers. This is in addition
to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times.
The negated form `--no-cc` discards all `Cc:` headers added so
far (from config or command line).
+--from::
+--from=<ident>::
+ Use `ident` in the `From:` header of each commit email. If the
+ author ident of the commit is not textually identical to the
+ provided `ident`, place a `From:` header in the body of the
+ message with the original author. If no `ident` is given, use
+ the committer ident.
++
+Note that this option is only useful if you are actually sending the
+emails and want to identify yourself as the sender, but retain the
+original author (and `git am` will correctly pick up the in-body
+header). Note also that `git send-email` already handles this
+transformation for you, and this option should not be used if you are
+feeding the result to `git send-email`.
+
--add-header=<header>::
Add an arbitrary header to the email headers. This is in addition
to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times.
`Cc:`, and custom) headers added so far from config or command
line.
---cover-letter::
+--[no-]cover-letter::
In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file
- containing the shortlog and the overall diffstat. You can
+ containing the branch description, shortlog and the overall diffstat. You can
fill in a description in the file before sending it out.
---[no]-signature=<signature>::
+--notes[=<ref>]::
+ Append the notes (see linkgit:git-notes[1]) for the commit
+ after the three-dash line.
++
+The expected use case of this is to write supporting explanation for
+the commit that does not belong to the commit log message proper,
+and include it with the patch submission. While one can simply write
+these explanations after `format-patch` has run but before sending,
+keeping them as Git notes allows them to be maintained between versions
+of the patch series (but see the discussion of the `notes.rewrite`
+configuration options in linkgit:git-notes[1] to use this workflow).
+
+--[no-]signature=<signature>::
Add a signature to each message produced. Per RFC 3676 the signature
is separated from the body by a line with '-- ' on it. If the
- signature option is omitted the signature defaults to the git version
+ signature option is omitted the signature defaults to the Git version
number.
+--signature-file=<file>::
+ Works just like --signature except the signature is read from a file.
+
--suffix=.<sfx>::
Instead of using `.patch` as the suffix for generated
filenames, use specified suffix. A common alternative is
Note that the leading character does not have to be a dot; for example,
you can use `--suffix=-patch` to get `0001-description-of-my-change-patch`.
+-q::
--quiet::
Do not print the names of the generated files to standard output.
using this option cannot be applied properly, but they are
still useful for code review.
+--zero-commit::
+ Output an all-zero hash in each patch's From header instead
+ of the hash of the commit.
+
+--base=<commit>::
+ Record the base tree information to identify the state the
+ patch series applies to. See the BASE TREE INFORMATION section
+ below for details.
+
--root::
Treat the revision argument as a <revision range>, even if it
is just a single commit (that would normally be treated as a
range are always formatted as creation patches, independently
of this flag.
+--progress::
+ Show progress reports on stderr as patches are generated.
+
CONFIGURATION
-------------
You can specify extra mail header lines to be added to each message,
------------
[format]
headers = "Organization: git-foo\n"
- subjectprefix = CHANGE
+ subjectPrefix = CHANGE
suffix = .txt
numbered = auto
to = <email>
cc = <email>
attach [ = mime-boundary-string ]
- signoff = true
+ signOff = true
+ coverletter = auto
------------
~~~~~~~~~~~
By default, Thunderbird will both wrap emails as well as flag
them as being 'format=flowed', both of which will make the
-resulting email unusable by git.
+resulting email unusable by Git.
There are three different approaches: use an add-on to turn off line wraps,
configure Thunderbird to not mangle patches, or use
In Thunderbird 3:
Edit..Preferences..Advanced..Config Editor. Search for
"mail.wrap_long_lines".
-Toggle it to make sure it is set to `false`.
+Toggle it to make sure it is set to `false`. Also, search for
+"mailnews.wraplength" and set the value to 0.
3. Disable the use of format=flowed:
Edit..Preferences..Advanced..Config Editor. Search for
5. Back in the compose window: add whatever other text you wish to the
message, complete the addressing and subject fields, and press send.
+BASE TREE INFORMATION
+---------------------
+
+The base tree information block is used for maintainers or third party
+testers to know the exact state the patch series applies to. It consists
+of the 'base commit', which is a well-known commit that is part of the
+stable part of the project history everybody else works off of, and zero
+or more 'prerequisite patches', which are well-known patches in flight
+that is not yet part of the 'base commit' that need to be applied on top
+of 'base commit' in topological order before the patches can be applied.
+
+The 'base commit' is shown as "base-commit: " followed by the 40-hex of
+the commit object name. A 'prerequisite patch' is shown as
+"prerequisite-patch-id: " followed by the 40-hex 'patch id', which can
+be obtained by passing the patch through the `git patch-id --stable`
+command.
+
+Imagine that on top of the public commit P, you applied well-known
+patches X, Y and Z from somebody else, and then built your three-patch
+series A, B, C, the history would be like:
+
+................................................
+---P---X---Y---Z---A---B---C
+................................................
+
+With `git format-patch --base=P -3 C` (or variants thereof, e.g. with
+`--cover-letter` or using `Z..C` instead of `-3 C` to specify the
+range), the base tree information block is shown at the end of the
+first message the command outputs (either the first patch, or the
+cover letter), like this:
+
+------------
+base-commit: P
+prerequisite-patch-id: X
+prerequisite-patch-id: Y
+prerequisite-patch-id: Z
+------------
+
+For non-linear topology, such as
+
+................................................
+---P---X---A---M---C
+ \ /
+ Y---Z---B
+................................................
+
+You can also use `git format-patch --base=P -3 C` to generate patches
+for A, B and C, and the identifiers for P, X, Y, Z are appended at the
+end of the first message.
+
+If set `--base=auto` in cmdline, it will track base commit automatically,
+the base commit will be the merge base of tip commit of the remote-tracking
+branch and revision-range specified in cmdline.
+For a local branch, you need to track a remote branch by `git branch
+--set-upstream-to` before using this option.
EXAMPLES
--------
Additionally, it detects and handles renames and complete rewrites
intelligently to produce a renaming patch. A renaming patch reduces
the amount of text output, and generally makes it easier to review.
-Note that non-git "patch" programs won't understand renaming patches, so
-use it only when you know the recipient uses git to apply your patch.
+Note that non-Git "patch" programs won't understand renaming patches, so
+use it only when you know the recipient uses Git to apply your patch.
* Extract three topmost commits from the current branch and format them
as e-mailable patches:
projects / platform / upstream / git.git / blobdiff