[PATCH v4 1/2] checkpatch: Allow passing config directory

From: Petr Vorel

Date: Wed Apr 15 2026 - 10:36:59 EST


checkpatch.pl searches for .checkpatch.conf in $CWD, $HOME and
$CWD/.scripts. Allow passing a single directory via
CHECKPATCH_CONFIG_DIR environment variable. This allows to directly use
project configuration file for projects which vendored checkpatch.pl
(e.g. LTP or u-boot).

Although it'd be more convenient for user to add --conf-dir option
(instead of using environment variable), code would get ugly because
options from the configuration file needs to be read before processing
command line options with Getopt::Long.

While at it, document directories and environment variable in help.

Signed-off-by: Petr Vorel <pvorel@xxxxxxx>
---
NOTE: Feel free to suggest better wording for the help text.

Changes in v4 (all by Simon):
* Warn when config file is not in directory specified by CHECKPATCH_CONFIG_DIR
* Fix the directory search order in the commit message.
* Fix wording commit message ('Allow to pass' -> 'Allow passing')

Link to v3:
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260408120603.54351-1-pvorel@xxxxxxx/

Link to v2:
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260224181623.89904-1-pvorel@xxxxxxx/

Link to v1:
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260202144221.76765-2-pvorel@xxxxxxx/
scripts/checkpatch.pl | 19 ++++++++++++++++---
1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 0492d6afc9a1f..38c448a8b7629 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ my %ignore_type = ();
my @ignore = ();
my $help = 0;
my $configuration_file = ".checkpatch.conf";
+my $def_configuration_dirs = ".:$ENV{HOME}:.scripts";
+my $env_config_dir = 'CHECKPATCH_CONFIG_DIR';
my $max_line_length = 100;
my $ignore_perl_version = 0;
my $minimum_perl_version = 5.10.0;
@@ -146,6 +148,11 @@ Options:
-h, --help, --version display this help and exit

When FILE is - read standard input.
+
+CONFIGURATION FILE
+Default configuration options can be stored in $configuration_file,
+search path: '$def_configuration_dirs' or in a directory specified by
+\$$env_config_dir environment variable (fallback to the default search path).
EOM

exit($exitcode);
@@ -237,7 +244,7 @@ sub list_types {
exit($exitcode);
}

-my $conf = which_conf($configuration_file);
+my $conf = which_conf($configuration_file, $env_config_dir, $def_configuration_dirs);
if (-f $conf) {
my @conf_args;
open(my $conffile, '<', "$conf")
@@ -1531,9 +1538,15 @@ sub which {
}

sub which_conf {
- my ($conf) = @_;
+ my ($conf, $env_key, $paths) = @_;
+ my $env_dir = $ENV{$env_key};
+
+ if (defined($env_dir)) {
+ return "$env_dir/$conf" if (-e "$env_dir/$conf");
+ }
+ warn "$P: Can't find a readable $conf in '$env_dir', fallback to default locations: $!\n";

- foreach my $path (split(/:/, ".:$ENV{HOME}:.scripts")) {
+ foreach my $path (split(/:/, $paths)) {
if (-e "$path/$conf") {
return "$path/$conf";
}
--
2.53.0