Re: Writing instructions for LLMs (don’t g enerate code) into CONTRIBUTE?
Jean Louis <[email protected]> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 21:01:49 +0300
| Newsgroups | gmane.emacs.devel |
|---|---|
| Organization | GNU Support |
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
On 2026-08-05 13:19, Dr. Arne Babenhauserheide wrote:
>>> One thing I don’t understand in this discussion: don’t the tools
>>> check
>>> the CONTRIBUTE file?
>>
>> That depends on many factors and there is no guarantee for it.
>
> That sounds like it doesn’t materially differ from AGENTS.md -- but
> avoids giving the indication that we want LLM contributions to the
> code.
It matters materially different as AGENTS.md is programmed to be
followed, while CONTRIBUTE is not.
Some software using LLM may start inspecting all files and find there is
some guidance in CONTRIBUTE -- but chances are rather low and depend on
how user direct it.
> We need someone to check whether adding the LLM-text to CONTRIBUTE
> causes common LLMs to adhere to it.
It will cause to adhere to it if user tells to CONTRIBUTE to adhere to
it.
Example:
────────────────────────────────────────
● follow the CONTRIBUTE
Initializing agent...
────────────────────────────────────────
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me load the hermes-agent skill to find the CONTRIBUTE
instructions.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📚 preparing skill_view…
┊ 📚 skill hermes-agent 0.0s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The skill mentions "CONTRIBUTOR QUICK REFERENCE" — let me check the
full contributor docs.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📄 preparing web_extract…
┊ 📄 fetch hermes-agent.nousresearch.com 5.1s [error]
┊ 🔍 preparing web_search…
┊ 🔍 search Hermes Agent contributing guide CONTRIBUTE GitHub
NousResearch 0.0s [Error searchi
ng web: Web tools are not config...]
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me check the local source for a CONTRIBUTE file.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 🔎 preparing search_files…
────────────────────────────────────────
● follow the CONTRIBUTE
Initializing agent...
────────────────────────────────────────
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me load the hermes-agent skill to find the CONTRIBUTE
instructions.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📚 preparing skill_view…
┊ 📚 skill hermes-agent 0.0s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The skill mentions "CONTRIBUTOR QUICK REFERENCE" — let me check the
full contributor docs.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📄 preparing web_extract…
┊ 📄 fetch hermes-agent.nousresearch.com 5.1s [error]
┊ 🔍 preparing web_search…
┊ 🔍 search Hermes Agent contributing guide CONTRIBUTE GitHub
NousResearch 0.0s [Error searching web: Web tools are not config...]
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me check the local source for a CONTRIBUTE file.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 🔎 preparing search_files…
┊ 🔎 find CONTRIBUTE 2.1s
┊ 📖 preparing read_file…
┊ 📖 read CONTRIBUTE 0.1s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
This is the GNU Emacs CONTRIBUTING guide. Let me see what's in the
current repo to understand
what you want me to do with it.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
┊ 💻 preparing terminal…
┊ 💻 $ git status --short + 1 command 0.1s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
I see the CONTRIBUTING guide (900+ lines). What do you want me to do
with it? For example:
- Apply its conventions to a specific change here?
- Review existing code against it?
- Something else?
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ ❓ preparing clarify…
(clarify timed out after 120s — agent will decide)
┊ ⚡ clarify What should I do with the CONTRIBUTING guide? 120.1s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me check the untracked files to see if there's something
specific to work on.
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📖 preparing read_file…
┊ 📖 read my-package.el 0.1s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The repo is the GNU Emacs source tree. The CONTRIBUTING guide is
about how to contribute patches back to GNU Emacs. I see you have an
untracked my-package.el and some other files. But there's nothing
concrete to do yet — the doc/lispref/elisp.txt is just a generated
file, and AGENTS.md is my own context.
Let me check if there's something specific you wanted done or a bug
to fix.
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 💻 preparing terminal…
┊ 💻 $ git diff --stat HEAD 2>/dev/null + 1 command 5.0s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The repo is clean (no uncommitted changes). The CONTRIBUTING guide
is about GNU Emacs development conventions — how to submit patches,
write commit messages, run tests, etc.
Without more direction, there's not much actionable here. Want me
to:
- Review my-package.el against Emacs contribution standards?
- Look at a specific bug or area to contribute?
- Something else?
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
⚕ Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-UD-Q3_K_XL │ 42.3K/655.4K │ [█░░░░░░░░░] 6% │ 4m │ ⏲
2m 34s │ ✓ 1m
> The file itself has the footer
>
>
> Local variables:
> mode: outline
> paragraph-separate: "[ ]*$"
> coding: utf-8
> end:
>
>
> Does this cause LLMs to parse it correctly as outline format (if told
> to
> parse it)? The information is there, question is just whether it’s
> understood.
● What is the footer of the file CONTRIBUTE?
────────────────────────────────────────
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
Let me read the end of CONTRIBUTE.
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
┊ 📖 preparing read_file…
┊ 📖 read CONTRIBUTE L500 0.1s
╭─ ⚕ Hermes
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The footer of CONTRIBUTE (lines 538–542):
Local variables:
mode: outline
paragraph-separate: "[ \t\f]*$"
coding: utf-8
end:
Standard Emacs local variables block declaring outline mode,
paragraph separators, and UTF-8 encoding.
╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
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2s │ ✓ 7s
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
It is understood by some LLMs if trained on it. Many are not trained,
yet I think it is expected to be understood...
--
Jean Louis