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-rw-r--r--doc/contributing.texi18
1 files changed, 17 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/doc/contributing.texi b/doc/contributing.texi
index f5d73e78aa..b18ffa1e57 100644
--- a/doc/contributing.texi
+++ b/doc/contributing.texi
@@ -42,13 +42,14 @@ git clone https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
@cindex authentication, of a Guix checkout
How do you ensure that you obtained a genuine copy of the repository?
-To do that, run @command{guix git authenticate}, passing if the commit
+To do that, run @command{guix git authenticate}, passing it the commit
and OpenPGP fingerprint of the @dfn{channel introduction}
(@pxref{Invoking guix git authenticate}):
@c The commit and fingerprint below must match those of the channel
@c introduction in '%default-channels'.
@example
+git fetch origin keyring:keyring
guix git authenticate 9edb3f66fd807b096b48283debdcddccfea34bad \
"BBB0 2DDF 2CEA F6A8 0D1D E643 A2A0 6DF2 A33A 54FA"
@end example
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ needed is to review and apply the patch.
* Package Naming:: What's in a name?
* Version Numbers:: When the name is not enough.
* Synopses and Descriptions:: Helping users find the right package.
+* Snippets versus Phases:: Whether to use a snippet, or a build phase.
* Python Modules:: A touch of British comedy.
* Perl Modules:: Little pearls.
* Java Packages:: Coffee break.
@@ -598,6 +600,20 @@ Gettext}):
for the X11 resize-and-rotate (RandR) extension. @dots{}")
@end example
+@node Snippets versus Phases
+@subsection Snippets versus Phases
+
+@cindex snippets, when to use
+The boundary between using an origin snippet versus a build phase to
+modify the sources of a package can be elusive. Origin snippets are
+typically used to remove unwanted files such as bundled libraries,
+nonfree sources, or to apply simple substitutions. The source derived
+from an origin should produce a source that can be used to build the
+package on any system that the upstream package supports (i.e., act as
+the corresponding source). In particular, origin snippets must not
+embed store items in the sources; such patching should rather be done
+using build phases. Refer to the @code{origin} record documentation for
+more information (@pxref{origin Reference}).
@node Python Modules
@subsection Python Modules