Git Migration Needs YOU!

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On March 2, 2010, Germain Garand wrote:
> I've been developing kdelibs for 2 years with git-svn and I found this
> combination much better than either git or svn alone (so don't even talk
> about git + some privately owned weird centralizing web site!)

gitorious.org runs free software and we can self-host our own gitorious site 
due to that. it will also likely end up replacing our other "weird 
centralizing website": reviewboard. the only privately owned thing about 
gitorious.org is the shared server infrastructure and sys admining. part of 
our negotiations with shortcut, btw, are access to the information we need to 
be able to migrate away as needed.
 
> I have the 'power user' features of git that I need, yet simple things are
> still simple for *everyone*, and there is a unique, undisputed central
> repository to avoid fragmentation.

we aren't going to move away from a single, unique, undisputed central 
repository.

> Moving to (git + http site) means skyrocketing barrier to entry, unhealthy
> dependency relationship with a private company's web site, push for

there is no such dependency; we can move to our own gitorious installation 
whenever we wish, we can drop it entirely and move to "bare" git if we want.

> everyone to do its own cooking without any regard for the project as a
> whole.

this is a social problem that is not fixable, now or in the future with git or 
with svn, with technical means.
 
> With a 2 year experience in git-svn, I found I'm still using aspects of svn
> daily such as the nice, natural, recursive nature of svn commands that
> allow easy containment of work inside a subdirectory (try bissecting a
> change in kio/kio/* with git and you'll understand what pain is), I enjoy
> the simplicity of being able to refer to commits by tossing a six figures
> number between two parenthesis in the flow of a mail. I love to be able to
> grab the latest changes just within the subdirectory I'm working in or
> within a specific file, without having to awkwardly 'stash' my changes or
> use esoteric commands.

nothing is a panacea and git has it downsides, indeed. documentation will be a 
LARGE part of the path to success here for us; another important piece of the 
puzzle will be to keep our workflow both simple and well documented.

on the other hand, i'd kill for a stash and interactive commit in svn right 
now as i work on a krunner bug that has become entangled in another patch i'm 
working on :)

the above discussion is useful to be had, in order to document possible 
pitfalls so we can avoid them and to ensure correct information is shared with 
all, but the git migration itself is in progress and well along at this point.

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Qt Development Frameworks