Formatting an Arch Linux package changelog

Is there any guidance on how a changelog should be formatted when making a package?

A change log is typically not part of an Arch package.

Usually change logs are published on the official project websites and for that there are no rules how to format them.

Do you mean the commit message? As far as I know there is no specific standard for that.

Not the commit message. The output of pacman -Qc for a package. The .Changelog file is referenced in the “Creating packages” ArchWiki, but not how it should be formatted.

Can you give me an example of a package that actually has a changelog?

I just checked over 20 different packages and none of them included one.

Based on that, I would say the standard is to not include a changelog. :rofl:

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According to this Reddit thread, iwd has a changelog, but I don’t have that package installed.

On my system, only 3 packages have a change log:

  • iwd
  • zsh-completions
  • zsh-syntax-highlighting

I checked with:

pacman -Qc $(pacman -Qq)

The format tends to vary. It’s all in plain text. Here is how it is formatted for the three packages on my system:

Summary
Changelog for iwd:
ver 1.9:
	Fix issue with WPA3 connections in transition mode.
	Fix issue with handling roaming attempt failures.
	Add support for radio management work queue.
	Add support P2P service manager interface.
	Add support for WiFi Display client API.

ver 1.8:
	Fix issue with handling FT AKMs when not supported.
	Fix issue with handling FILS and RSNE in authenticate.
	Fix issue with handling auto-connection and quick scan.
	Fix issue with sending multiple scan requests.
	Add support for P2P feature and API.

ver 1.7:
	Fix issue with APs that send IGTK falsely in big endian.
	Fix issue with setting linkmode & operstate for open networks.

ver 1.6:
	Fix issue with handling missing AP stop events.
	Fix issue with handling out-of-order disconnect events.
	Fix issue with handling missing auth/assoc support.
	Fix issue with handling omitted EAP-TLS-CACert.
	Fix issue with handling OWE PTK derivation.
	Add support for internal frame exchange API.
	Add support for MAC randomization and override.
	Add support for per-network MAC addresses.

ver 1.5:
	Fix issue with handling missing NEW_WIPHY events.
	Fix issue with interface creation and NEW_WIPHY events.
	Fix issue with handling LastConnectedTime property change.
	Fix issue with PEAPv0 interoperability with Windows.

ver 1.4:
	Fix issue with handling Crypto-Binding and invalid MACs.
	Fix issue with handling change station error results.
	Fix issue with handling DNS resolving installations.

ver 1.3:
	Fix issue with handling EAP-GTC and password requests.
	Fix issue with handling Crypto-Binding TLV for PEAPv0.
	Fix issue with handling key installation and PEAP Phase 2.
	Fix issue with handling externally triggered scan requests.
	Fix issue with handling RCPI calculation for RRM requests.

ver 1.2:
	Fix issue with handling scan requests while connecting.
	Fix issue with handling scan duration for RRM requests.
	Fix issue with handling parent TSF value for RRM requests.

ver 1.1:
	Fix issue with simple configuration support checks.
	Fix issue with handling TLS tunnel and PEAPv0.
	Add support for radio resource management.

ver 1.0:
	Add support for stable D-Bus interfaces.
	Add support for network configuration documentation.

ver 0.23:
	Fix issue with strict certificate chain checks.
	Fix issue with parsing RSNE_ADVANCE information.
	Fix issue with parsing RSN information for WPA1.
	Fix issue with logic error in scan frequency validation.
	Fix issue with integer overflow and authentication frames.
	Add support for installing various manual pages.

ver 0.22:
	Fix issue with hotplug and device capability detection.
	Add support for IPv6 network configuration handling.
	Add support for embedding certificates in profiles.

ver 0.21:
	Fix issue with cleartext ACK and tunneled EAP-Success.
	Fix issue with setting bits in extended capabilities.
	Fix issue with WPA-1 information element parsing.
	Add support for handling QoS Map IE and frames.
	Add support for STATE_DIRECTORY environment.
	Add support for CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY environment.

ver 0.20:
	Add support for adding Extended Capabilities bits.
	Add support for ServerDomainMask configuration option.

ver 0.19:
	Add support for Hotspot 2.0 functionality.
	Add support for FILS Fast Transition feature.
	Add support for network configuration handling.
	Add support for resolution services framework.

ver 0.18:
	Fix issue with handling stale scan results.
	Fix issue with handling OWE group renegotiation.
	Fix issue with handshake failures on FT-PSK.
	Add support for FILS (Fast Initial Link Setup).

ver 0.17:
	Fix issue with handling association failure path.
	Fix issue with handling checks for valid ECC point/scalar.
	Fix issue with handling potential infinite loop and SAE.
	Fix issue with handling randomization for passive scans.
	Add support for randomization of SN for probe requests.
	Add support for handling the FILS cipher suites.
	Add support for ERP key caching feature.

ver 0.16:
	Add missing pkcs8.conf for module loading.

ver 0.15:
	Fix issue with handling RSSI thresholds.
	Fix issue with handling abort for a connection.
	Fix issueT. with stopping Access Point operation.
	Add support for individual BSS blacklisting.
	Add support for utilizing MAC randomization.
	Add support for utilizing different key lengths.
	Add support for 16, 24 and 32 byte MIC lengths.
	Add support for handling driver rekying feature.

ver 0.14:
	Add support for tunneled MSCHAPv2 authentication.

ver 0.13:
	Fix issue with WSC interface runtime handling.
	Add support for Opportunistic Wireless Encryption.
	Add support for common EAP-TLS framework.

ver 0.12:
	Fix issue with handling 802.1x automatic connection.
	Fix issue with handling missing support for backtrace.

ver 0.11:
	Fix issue with handling EAP-TTLS and redundant L flags.
	Fix issue with handling EAP-TLS upper limit on request size.
	Fix issue with handling handshake complete after setting keys.
	Fix issue with handling access points with too many rates.
	Fix issue with requiring PSK if passphrase is present.
	Add support for retrieving list of hidden access points.
	Add support for tunneled MS-CHAP.

ver 0.10:
	Fix issue with Ethernet authentication packet handling.
	Fix issue with ad-hoc network scan results in station mode.
	Fix issue with cancellation of ongoing rekey offload.
	Add support for setting per-mac GTK credentials.
	Add support for using external Embedded Linux library.

ver 0.9:
	Fix issue with handling EAP-WSC passwords.
	Add support for TTLS-CHAP and TTLS-PAP.
	Add support for handling FT over SAE.

ver 0.8:
	Fix issue with handling EAP_CACHE_NEVER secret types.
	Fix issue with redundant usage of the L flag and PEAP.
	Fix issue with EAP type 33 as termination mechanism for PEAPv1.
	Add initial version of Ethernet authentication daemon.
	Add support for Station mode interface.

ver 0.7:
	Fix issue with hard coded peer address and SAE networks.
	Fix issue with raw passphrase requirement and SAE networks.
	Fix issue with differentiating authenticator and supplicant.
	Fix issue with timestamps comparison of known networks.
	Fix issue with handling cancellation of power callbacks.
	Fix issue with honoring auto-connect setting on power up.
	Fix issue with crash during operstate callbacks.

ver 0.6:
	Fix issue with syncing the PSK on first connection.
	Fix issue with unnecessary known object removal events.

ver 0.5:
	Fix issue with EAPoL handling and Ad-Hoc networks.
	Add support for using agent with EAP-GTC methods.
	Add support for improved Known Networks management.
	Add support for Simultaneous Authentication of Equals.
	Add support for exposing supported modes of operation.
	Add support for D-Bus auto-activation via systemd.

ver 0.4:
	Fix issue with handling all zero PMKID.
	Fix issue with handling PEAP servers and M bit requirement.
	Fix issue with handling MS-CHAP v2 and uninitialized memory.
	Fix issue with handling memory leak and aborting connections.
	Fix issue with handling memory leak and PSK configuration.
	Fix issue with handling not yet running D-Bus daemon.
	Add support for advanced scanning of hidden networks.
	Add support for MAC address randomization.
	Add support for Ad-Hoc network interface.
	Add support for Access Point interface.

ver 0.3:
	Fix issue with auto-connect settings for open networks.
	Fix issue with handling beacon loss in roaming situations.
	Fix issue with handling bridged wireless network interfaces.
	Fix issue with handling EAP identity prompt or notification.
	Fix issue with handling EAP state reset and reauthentication.
	Add support for user specified hidden network connections.
	Add support for configuring WDS / 4ADDR operation.

ver 0.2:
	Fix issue with unsupported bands from roam scan frequency set.
	Fix issue with handling disconnect by AP and by SME events.
	Fix issue with string start calculation for MS-CHAP v2.
	Add workaround for 0 oper class in neighbor report.
	Add support for EAPoL over NL80211 kernel feature.
	Add support for EAP-PWD authentication method.
	Add support for EAP-GTC authentication method.
	Add support for agent functionality to client.

ver 0.1:
	Initial public release.

Changelog for zsh-completions:
0.34.0-1:
upstream update

0.30.0-1:
upstream update

0.29.0-1:
upstream update

0.28.0-1:
upstream update

0.27.0-1:
upstream update

0.26.0-1:
upstream update

0.25.0-1:
upstream update

0.24.0-1:
upstream update

0.23.0-2:
remove _rg completion since it provided by ripgrep package

0.23.0-1:
upstream update

0.22.0-1:
upstream update

0.21.0-1:
upstream update

0.20.0-1:
upstream update

0.19.0-2:
fix FS#50243

0.19.0-1:
upstream update

0.18.0-1:
upstream update

0.17.0-1:
upstream update

0.16.0-1:
upstream update

0.15.0-1:
upstream update

0.14.0-2:
fix build

0.14.0-1:
upstream update

0.12.0-2:
drop _salt completions since it is provided by upstream

0.12.0-1:
ustream update

Changelog for zsh-syntax-highlighting:
0.6.0-1:
upstream update

0.5.0-1:
upstream update

0.4.1-2:
add workaround for oh-my-zsh (see https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting/issues/270)

0.4.1-1:
upstream update

0.4.0-1:
ustream update

0.3.0-1:
upstream update

0.2.1-1:
upstream update
1 Like

Here is the changelog from zsh-completions

changelog, useful?
Changelog for zsh-completions:
0.30.0-1:
upstream update

0.29.0-1:
upstream update

0.28.0-1:
upstream update

0.27.0-1:
upstream update

0.26.0-1:
upstream update

0.25.0-1:
upstream update

0.24.0-1:
upstream update

0.23.0-2:
remove _rg completion since it provided by ripgrep package

0.23.0-1:
upstream update

0.22.0-1:
upstream update

0.21.0-1:
upstream update

0.20.0-1:
upstream update

0.19.0-2:
fix FS#50243

0.19.0-1:
upstream update

0.18.0-1:
upstream update

0.17.0-1:
upstream update

0.16.0-1:
upstream update

0.15.0-1:
upstream update

0.14.0-2:
fix build

0.14.0-1:
upstream update

0.12.0-2:
drop _salt completions since it is provided by upstream

0.12.0-1:
ustream update

EDIT: @Kresimir also edited it into his post at the same time.

1 Like

To me? Not particularly :slight_smile:

Hopefully the OP finds it useful.

Basically, only iwd provides a useful changelog.

Mostly, not useful. However, for one of the AUR packages I maintain there is a semi-useful upstream changelog that I wanted to include in the package:

https://ric.uthscsa.edu/mango/versionhistory

It seems to me that this feature seemed like a good idea when it was implemented in ALPM, but then packagers decided it’s not something worth bothering with.

Perhaps would be nice if packages had proper changelogs like that:

Changelog for unace:
2020-01-25 Jaroslav Lichblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* unace-2.5-11
* fix for FS#63689 - [unace] Program hangs when used from a archive manager

2008-04-04 Eric Belanger eric@archlinux.org
* unace-2.5-5.1
* fixed seg faults on x86_64

2007-05-28 Alessio ‘mOLOk’ Bolognino themolok@gmail.com
* unace-2.5-5
moved in [community]
now it’s built from source (from debian)

but maybe it’s just BLOAT.
This one is top notch, very informational:

Changelog for powertop:
2021-05-15 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.14-1

2020-07-06 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.13-1

2020-05-09 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.12-1

2019-10-29 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.11-1

2018-01-06 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.10-1

2017-04-04 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.9-1

2015-11-10 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.8-1

2015-02-17 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.7-2
* FS#43150 fix

2014-11-30 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.7-1

2014-05-29 Jaroslav Lichtblau svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.6.1-1

2013-03-23 Evangelos Foutras evangelos@foutrelis.com
* powertop 2.3-1

2013-01-05 Jaroslav Lichtblau (Dragonlord) svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.2-1

2012-10-28 Jaroslav Lichtblau (Dragonlord) svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.1.1-1

2012-08-22 SĂ©bastien Luttringer (seblu) seblu@aur.archlinux.org
* powertop 2.1-1

2012-05-12 Jaroslav Lichtblau (Dragonlord) svetlemodry@archlinux.org
* powertop 2.0-1

honka_animated-128px-18

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It sure would be nice if someone were to spend hours of their day writing such change logs for every package update on Arch. What wouldn’t be nice is me being that person. :frog:

I’m sure Arch package maintainers feel that way, too :rofl:

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And whole AUR as well! :smiley:

honka_animated-128px-4

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