Re: [PATCH b4] config: accept prep-pre-flight-checks from .b4-config

On Fri, Jul 10, 2026 at 05:51:10PM +0200, Matthieu Baerts wrote:
> > Add 'prep-pre-flight-checks' to the wtglobs list so it can be set
> > from .b4-config, allowing projects to disable checks (e.g.
> > needs-checking, needs-auto-to-cc) that are not relevant to their
> > workflow and share that decision via version control.
>
> I don't remember if it was present in this list for security reasons --
> similar to *-check-cmd at some points [1] -- but I do remember a bug
> report with the same patch [2] which has never been applied.
> 
> On my side, I think it would be useful to be able to use
> "disable-needs-auto-to-cc" on some specific dev tree of a
> "sub-subsystem". On these dev branches, no need to add extra reviewers
> from the "parent" subsystem.
> 
> We could then have this config:
> 
>     [b4]
>         send-series-to = <dev ML>
>         prep-pre-flight-checks = disable-needs-auto-to-cc
>         send-prefixes = <specific dev prefix>
> 
> [1] https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/b4/b4.git/commit/?id=a1360385
> [2] https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=219705

I think it mostly slipped through the cracks. I did want to work on this some
more as a general feature, but there's no reason to hold back on this small
change, which is clearly useful to projects.

The only concern with these .b4-config flags is the potential for abuse if
they are set to execute commands, but this doesn't fall under that category
and therefore we can easily add it.

Thanks!

-K