Unproductive conversations

[Vadim Goncharov]

Hi Robert Watson! 

On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:37:31 +0100 (BST); Robert Watson wrote about 'Unproductive conversations (was: Re: Own VCS (Was: Official git export))':

>> No. Completely own BSD-licensed DVCS designed specifically for FreeBSD, 
>> allowing partial checkouts and intended to replace SVN in the future :)

> Vadim:

> I think your post has triggered a number of very productive discussions about 
> improving FreeBSD and how to ensure FreeBSD remains relevant.  Unfortunately, 
> I think this is not one of them.  The whole world is waiting for a perfect 
> revision control system to turn up, but I think the FreeBSD Project isn't the 
> place to write it.

That's right, and I didn't include VCS into my initial post, except of just an
imaginary solution (somewhat kind of brainstorm fuse) near the bottom of the
list (for the base system updates).

> Historically, interestingly, it might have been -- cvsup was a tool developed 
> in the context of the FreeBSD Project on the basis that we effectively needed 
> something as scalable as a DVCS.  It's actually one of the reasons it took us 
> so long to switch away from CVS: we made CVS do things no dreamed possibly in 
> terms of scalability.

> Having made a highly disruptive but ultimately successful switch to 
> Subversion, and considered the pros and cons in the classic revision control 
> and DCVS spaces in the process, I think we should continue to sit on 
> Subversion for the time being.  However, the thrust of my comments earlier in 
> this thread about git are about something different: not switching revision 
> control systems, or building the ultimate new one, but instead adapting to the 
> current status quo -- in a world in which there is no perfect system (and in 
> which different desirable features are even mutually exclusive), we need to 
> allow people to use the tool that they find easiest and most comfortable. 
> Which means supporting a large pool of downstream git users *better* than we 
> do today.

Sorry that I didn't make it clear (or, looking at julian@ post, may be
something was misunderstood, and not only by me) - the "own VCS is better"
was an objection to "switch to Git and axe out SVN completely". I am
by no means opposed to saving current status quo while "officially approving"
Git downstream - this is a very good thing for the near future.

> With so many areas to focus our attention, I honestly think we're better 
> served looking at things like package system architecture, improvements to 
> documentation, support for forthcoming hardware designs, etc, then trying to 
> build yet another DVCS from scratch in the confines of the FreeBSD Project.

This, in principle, could be put to Project ideas for those volunteers who
are currently not otherwise helping, etc., but not to developers, of course.
Just a collection of ideas while the topic was touched. You said that FreeBSD
did similar thing in the past, and I think this idea could still be pulled
from cold reserve into living several years from now, when SVN will become
a bottleneck. And getting a rough idea of what developers need from VCS is
not bad even now.

-- 
WBR, Vadim Goncharov. ICQ#166852181       mailto:vadim_nuclight at mail.ru
[Anti-Greenpeace][Sober FreeBSD zealot][http://nuclight.livejournal.com]