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Say where a change to an external repository should go - #3072

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isHeSatoshi wants to merge 1 commit into
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isHeSatoshi:clarify-where-external-changes-go
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isHeSatoshi wants to merge 1 commit into
rust-lang:mainfrom
isHeSatoshi:clarify-where-external-changes-go

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@isHeSatoshi

@isHeSatoshi isHeSatoshi commented Oct 19, 2026 •

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Fixes #1672.

The issue reports two problems:

  1. "External Dependencies" in contributing.md does not suggest that it means "things we have embedded in our repository but should be treated as external dependencies".
  2. The page it links to does not answer "where/how should changes be contributed". The answer is there, but in a paragraph that comes after the list of tools, phrased as "However, if possible, enhancements, bug fixes, etc. specific to these tools should be filed against the tools directly in their respective upstream repositories."

This addresses both:

  • the pointer now names what it is about and lists a few of the tools, so the scope is obvious from the contents page;
  • external-repos.md gets a ## Where should a change go? section near the top, before the mechanisms are described, stating the three cases.

The three cases are the ones the page already states further down, moved up and stated plainly rather than invented:

  • an enhancement or bug fix for a tool goes to the tool's own repository;
  • a change that needs both a compiler change and a tool change goes in one rust-lang/rust pull request;
  • a fix for a tool that your compiler change breaks goes in that same pull request.

The rest of the chapter is about the sync mechanisms, so the new section says so and gets out of the way.

No new links are added.

The "External Dependencies" pointer in contributing.md did not hint that
it was about code copied into rust-lang/rust from another repository, and
the page it leads to answered "where should I send this change?" only in
a paragraph buried after the list of tools.

Reword the pointer to name what it is about, and give the page a section
up front that answers the question: enhancements and bug fixes go to the
tool's own repository, a change that needs both a compiler change and a
tool change goes in one rust-lang/rust pull request, and a fix for a tool
that your compiler change breaks goes in that same pull request.
@isHeSatoshi

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rustbot commented Oct 19, 2026

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Thanks for the PR. If you have write access, feel free to merge this PR if it does not need reviews. You can request a review using r? rustc-dev-guide or r? <username>.

@rustbot rustbot added the S-waiting-on-review Status: this PR is waiting for a reviewer to verify its content label Oct 19, 2026
@BoxyUwU BoxyUwU closed this Oct 19, 2026
@rustbot rustbot removed the S-waiting-on-review Status: this PR is waiting for a reviewer to verify its content label Oct 19, 2026
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Improve contributing text about subtrees

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