Cross Repo Commit Policy

This policy provides flexibility for contributors to commit across repositories without heavyweight processes for small, low-impact changes, while ensuring larger changes still undergo normal review and oversight.

Policy Guidelines

  • Obvious Fixes: Anyone may make obvious, small changes (e.g., typo or build break fixes) to any repository, subject to repository-specific rules.

  • Repository Rules: Committers must know, understand, and follow the specific rules and validation tools of the repositories they are modifying.

  • Cross-Repository Trust: When committing outside their primary area, committers are trusted to use their best judgment based on the following framework:

    • Sufficient Review: The change has received appropriate peer review for its size and complexity.

    • Expert Consultation: Repository experts are consulted for non-trivial changes.

    • Stricter Rules: The committer remains deferential to areas requiring formal oversight (e.g., the ports/Mk tree).

    • Scale: The larger or more complex the change, the more critical it is to seek review and wait for explicit approval.

  • Accountability: Committers must accept feedback on both process and content. If a mistake occurs, the default action is an immediate backout, followed by a more formal review, as appropriate.

When in doubt, ask first and seek a sanity check.

Last modified on: June 26, 2026 by Warner Losh