Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH] xen: use more fixed strings to build the hypervisor

[Ian Jackson <Ian.Jackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Olaf Hering writes ("[PATCH] xen: use more fixed strings to build the 
hypervisor"):
> It is expected that repeated builds of identical sources results in
> identical binaries on different hosts at different build times. This
> fails for xen.gz and xen.efi because unstable strings are included in
> the binaries.

I like the idea of making our builds more reproducible.  And your
patch looks correct (although I haven't tested it).

> In addition to existing variables use XEN_BUILD_DATE, XEN_BUILD_TIME and
> XEN_BUILD_HOST to specify fixed strings during build.

But your commit message is rather odd.

The first paragrah describes an expectation which as far as I can tell
is not fulfilled by your patch.  Your patch just makes it easier to
fulfil.

And the second paragraph seems to have an English grammar issue.  "Use
[blah] to specify fixed strings during build" means, when found in a
commit message "this commit uses [blah] to specify ...".  But your
commit doesn't.  It merely provides a facility for others to do so.

How about

   It should be possible to repeatedly build identical sources
   and get identical binaries, even on different hosts at different
   build times.  This fails [etc. etc. ...]

   Provide variables XEN_BUILD_DATE, XEN_BUILD_TIME and XEN_BUILD_HOST
   which the build environment can set to fixed strings to get a
   reproducible build.

or some such.

Ian.

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