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diff --git a/Documentation/process/email-clients.rst b/Documentation/process/email-clients.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..fc2c46f3f --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/process/email-clients.rst @@ -0,0 +1,352 @@ +.. _email_clients: + +Email clients info for Linux +============================ + +Git +--- + +These days most developers use ``git send-email`` instead of regular +email clients. The man page for this is quite good. On the receiving +end, maintainers use ``git am`` to apply the patches. + +If you are new to ``git`` then send your first patch to yourself. Save it +as raw text including all the headers. Run ``git am raw_email.txt`` and +then review the changelog with ``git log``. When that works then send +the patch to the appropriate mailing list(s). + +General Preferences +------------------- + +Patches for the Linux kernel are submitted via email, preferably as +inline text in the body of the email. Some maintainers accept +attachments, but then the attachments should have content-type +``text/plain``. However, attachments are generally frowned upon because +it makes quoting portions of the patch more difficult in the patch +review process. + +It's also strongly recommended that you use plain text in your email body, +for patches and other emails alike. https://useplaintext.email may be useful +for information on how to configure your preferred email client, as well as +listing recommended email clients should you not already have a preference. + +Email clients that are used for Linux kernel patches should send the +patch text untouched. For example, they should not modify or delete tabs +or spaces, even at the beginning or end of lines. + +Don't send patches with ``format=flowed``. This can cause unexpected +and unwanted line breaks. + +Don't let your email client do automatic word wrapping for you. +This can also corrupt your patch. + +Email clients should not modify the character set encoding of the text. +Emailed patches should be in ASCII or UTF-8 encoding only. +If you configure your email client to send emails with UTF-8 encoding, +you avoid some possible charset problems. + +Email clients should generate and maintain "References:" or "In-Reply-To:" +headers so that mail threading is not broken. + +Copy-and-paste (or cut-and-paste) usually does not work for patches +because tabs are converted to spaces. Using xclipboard, xclip, and/or +xcutsel may work, but it's best to test this for yourself or just avoid +copy-and-paste. + +Don't use PGP/GPG signatures in mail that contains patches. +This breaks many scripts that read and apply the patches. +(This should be fixable.) + +It's a good idea to send a patch to yourself, save the received message, +and successfully apply it with 'patch' before sending patches to Linux +mailing lists. + + +Some email client (MUA) hints +----------------------------- + +Here are some specific MUA configuration hints for editing and sending +patches for the Linux kernel. These are not meant to be complete +software package configuration summaries. + + +Legend: + +- TUI = text-based user interface +- GUI = graphical user interface + +Alpine (TUI) +************ + +Config options: + +In the :menuselection:`Sending Preferences` section: + +- :menuselection:`Do Not Send Flowed Text` must be ``enabled`` +- :menuselection:`Strip Whitespace Before Sending` must be ``disabled`` + +When composing the message, the cursor should be placed where the patch +should appear, and then pressing :kbd:`CTRL-R` let you specify the patch file +to insert into the message. + +Claws Mail (GUI) +**************** + +Works. Some people use this successfully for patches. + +To insert a patch use :menuselection:`Message-->Insert File` (:kbd:`CTRL-I`) +or an external editor. + +If the inserted patch has to be edited in the Claws composition window +"Auto wrapping" in +:menuselection:`Configuration-->Preferences-->Compose-->Wrapping` should be +disabled. + +Evolution (GUI) +*************** + +Some people use this successfully for patches. + +When composing mail select: Preformat + from :menuselection:`Format-->Paragraph Style-->Preformatted` (:kbd:`CTRL-7`) + or the toolbar + +Then use: +:menuselection:`Insert-->Text File...` (:kbd:`ALT-N x`) +to insert the patch. + +You can also ``diff -Nru old.c new.c | xclip``, select +:menuselection:`Preformat`, then paste with the middle button. + +Kmail (GUI) +*********** + +Some people use Kmail successfully for patches. + +The default setting of not composing in HTML is appropriate; do not +enable it. + +When composing an email, under options, uncheck "word wrap". The only +disadvantage is any text you type in the email will not be word-wrapped +so you will have to manually word wrap text before the patch. The easiest +way around this is to compose your email with word wrap enabled, then save +it as a draft. Once you pull it up again from your drafts it is now hard +word-wrapped and you can uncheck "word wrap" without losing the existing +wrapping. + +At the bottom of your email, put the commonly-used patch delimiter before +inserting your patch: three hyphens (``---``). + +Then from the :menuselection:`Message` menu item, select +:menuselection:`insert file` and choose your patch. +As an added bonus you can customise the message creation toolbar menu +and put the :menuselection:`insert file` icon there. + +Make the composer window wide enough so that no lines wrap. As of +KMail 1.13.5 (KDE 4.5.4), KMail will apply word wrapping when sending +the email if the lines wrap in the composer window. Having word wrapping +disabled in the Options menu isn't enough. Thus, if your patch has very +long lines, you must make the composer window very wide before sending +the email. See: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=174034 + +You can safely GPG sign attachments, but inlined text is preferred for +patches so do not GPG sign them. Signing patches that have been inserted +as inlined text will make them tricky to extract from their 7-bit encoding. + +If you absolutely must send patches as attachments instead of inlining +them as text, right click on the attachment and select :menuselection:`properties`, +and highlight :menuselection:`Suggest automatic display` to make the attachment +inlined to make it more viewable. + +When saving patches that are sent as inlined text, select the email that +contains the patch from the message list pane, right click and select +:menuselection:`save as`. You can use the whole email unmodified as a patch +if it was properly composed. Emails are saved as read-write for user only so +you will have to chmod them to make them group and world readable if you copy +them elsewhere. + +Lotus Notes (GUI) +***************** + +Run away from it. + +IBM Verse (Web GUI) +******************* + +See Lotus Notes. + +Mutt (TUI) +********** + +Plenty of Linux developers use ``mutt``, so it must work pretty well. + +Mutt doesn't come with an editor, so whatever editor you use should be +used in a way that there are no automatic linebreaks. Most editors have +an :menuselection:`insert file` option that inserts the contents of a file +unaltered. + +To use ``vim`` with mutt:: + + set editor="vi" + +If using xclip, type the command:: + + :set paste + +before middle button or shift-insert or use:: + + :r filename + +if you want to include the patch inline. +(a)ttach works fine without ``set paste``. + +You can also generate patches with ``git format-patch`` and then use Mutt +to send them:: + + $ mutt -H 0001-some-bug-fix.patch + +Config options: + +It should work with default settings. +However, it's a good idea to set the ``send_charset`` to:: + + set send_charset="us-ascii:utf-8" + +Mutt is highly customizable. Here is a minimum configuration to start +using Mutt to send patches through Gmail:: + + # .muttrc + # ================ IMAP ==================== + set imap_user = 'yourusername@gmail.com' + set imap_pass = 'yourpassword' + set spoolfile = imaps://imap.gmail.com/INBOX + set folder = imaps://imap.gmail.com/ + set record="imaps://imap.gmail.com/[Gmail]/Sent Mail" + set postponed="imaps://imap.gmail.com/[Gmail]/Drafts" + set mbox="imaps://imap.gmail.com/[Gmail]/All Mail" + + # ================ SMTP ==================== + set smtp_url = "smtp://username@smtp.gmail.com:587/" + set smtp_pass = $imap_pass + set ssl_force_tls = yes # Require encrypted connection + + # ================ Composition ==================== + set editor = `echo \$EDITOR` + set edit_headers = yes # See the headers when editing + set charset = UTF-8 # value of $LANG; also fallback for send_charset + # Sender, email address, and sign-off line must match + unset use_domain # because joe@localhost is just embarrassing + set realname = "YOUR NAME" + set from = "username@gmail.com" + set use_from = yes + +The Mutt docs have lots more information: + + https://gitlab.com/muttmua/mutt/-/wikis/UseCases/Gmail + + http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/ + +Pine (TUI) +********** + +Pine has had some whitespace truncation issues in the past, but these +should all be fixed now. + +Use alpine (pine's successor) if you can. + +Config options: + +- ``quell-flowed-text`` is needed for recent versions +- the ``no-strip-whitespace-before-send`` option is needed + + +Sylpheed (GUI) +************** + +- Works well for inlining text (or using attachments). +- Allows use of an external editor. +- Is slow on large folders. +- Won't do TLS SMTP auth over a non-SSL connection. +- Has a helpful ruler bar in the compose window. +- Adding addresses to address book doesn't understand the display name + properly. + +Thunderbird (GUI) +***************** + +Thunderbird is an Outlook clone that likes to mangle text, but there are ways +to coerce it into behaving. + +After doing the modifications, this includes installing the extensions, +you need to restart Thunderbird. + +- Allow use of an external editor: + + The easiest thing to do with Thunderbird and patches is to use extensions + which open your favorite external editor. + + Here are some example extensions which are capable of doing this. + + - "External Editor Revived" + + https://github.com/Frederick888/external-editor-revived + + https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-GB/thunderbird/addon/external-editor-revived/ + + It requires installing a "native messaging host". + Please read the wiki which can be found here: + https://github.com/Frederick888/external-editor-revived/wiki + + - "External Editor" + + https://github.com/exteditor/exteditor + + To do this, download and install the extension, then open the + :menuselection:`compose` window, add a button for it using + :menuselection:`View-->Toolbars-->Customize...` + then just click on the new button when you wish to use the external editor. + + Please note that "External Editor" requires that your editor must not + fork, or in other words, the editor must not return before closing. + You may have to pass additional flags or change the settings of your + editor. Most notably if you are using gvim then you must pass the -f + option to gvim by putting ``/usr/bin/gvim --nofork"`` (if the binary is in + ``/usr/bin``) to the text editor field in :menuselection:`external editor` + settings. If you are using some other editor then please read its manual + to find out how to do this. + +To beat some sense out of the internal editor, do this: + +- Edit your Thunderbird config settings so that it won't use ``format=flowed``! + Go to your main window and find the button for your main dropdown menu. + :menuselection:`Main Menu-->Preferences-->General-->Config Editor...` + to bring up the thunderbird's registry editor. + + - Set ``mailnews.send_plaintext_flowed`` to ``false`` + + - Set ``mailnews.wraplength`` from ``72`` to ``0`` + +- Don't write HTML messages! Go to the main window + :menuselection:`Main Menu-->Account Settings-->youracc@server.something-->Composition & Addressing`! + There you can disable the option "Compose messages in HTML format". + +- Open messages only as plain text! Go to the main window + :menuselection:`Main Menu-->View-->Message Body As-->Plain Text`! + +TkRat (GUI) +*********** + +Works. Use "Insert file..." or external editor. + +Gmail (Web GUI) +*************** + +Does not work for sending patches. + +Gmail web client converts tabs to spaces automatically. + +At the same time it wraps lines every 78 chars with CRLF style line breaks +although tab2space problem can be solved with external editor. + +Another problem is that Gmail will base64-encode any message that has a +non-ASCII character. That includes things like European names. |