{"thread":{"id":"46493","subject":"[RFC] Moving main git-subtree development. to GitHub","startedAt":"2017-08-01T02:46:15Z","lastAt":"2017-08-01T20:55:10Z","messageCount":3,"participants":["David A. Greene","Jonathan Nieder","Junio C Hamano"],"isPatch":false,"patchVersion":null,"patchTotal":null},"messages":[{"id":"325362","messageId":"87mv7kf369.fsf@waller.obbligato.org","threadId":"46493","inReplyTo":null,"subject":"[RFC] Moving main git-subtree development. to GitHub","fromName":"David A. Greene","fromEmail":"greened@obbligato.org","sentAt":"2017-08-01T02:10:54Z","receivedAt":"2017-08-01T02:46:15Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"greened@obbligato.org","avatar":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/5291869?v=4"},"body":"Hello all,\n\nI have decided that moving git-subtree development off of the main git\nmailing list is the best way to address the needs of git-subtree users\nwhile providing the flexibility necessary to get it in shape for\neventual \"official\" status in the git project.\n\nOver the last year and a half I have been working on some new features\nfor git-subtree, motivated by day-job requirements.  Much of that effort\nhas been spent hardening the new code in a real work environment, driven\nby real-world needs.  I believe it is now ready for public consumption.\nHowever, because it is a large change, it will need lots of public\nexposure before it can be considered safe for general use.  Essentially,\nI would like to do a \"beta\" release of the new code while not impacting\nexisting users of git-subtree in contrib.\n\nDuring this time and due to work and life commitments, I have not been\nable to keep up with the git mailing list as I would like.  Questions\nand patches related to git-subtree have languished and I don't want to\nlose that good work by our users.  Therefore, I would like to transfer\nthe main development activity over to GitHub.  GitHub's patch tracking,\nreview and feedback infrastructure works better for me that a large\nmailing list with patches sent via e-mail.  It is easy to lose things in\na sea of conversations.  It's completely personal preference but I think\na switch to GitHub will also make tracking git-subtree's progress easier\nfor users.  Moving the main development to GitHub will also allow\ngit-subtree users to be more visible, ask questions and help each other\nout.\n\nGoing forward, I would like to do the main feature and bug fix work on\nGitHub and periodically subtree-merge to git's main repository under\ncontrib when the code has stabilized and we are reasonably confident\ninterfaces are stable.  This will allow us to experiment with new ideas\nwhile keeping a stable codebase for end users.  I expect a lot of\nre-engineering of the core bits of git-subtree to bring it into\ncompliance with git's coding standards, support new features and provide\na better user experience.\n\nI believe keeping a stable git-subtree in contrib is valuable.\ngit-subtree and git-submodule provide alternative solutions to similar\nproblems, as well as each solving problems the other does not.\nAnecdotally, I noticed an uptick in git-subtree user activity after the\nmove into contrib.  I would like to maintain that visibilty.\n\nDoes this mode of operation work for the larger git community?  Are\nthere suggestions of how to make this work as smoothly as possible?\n\nThank you for your feedback and support of git-subtree!\n\n                          -David\n"},{"id":"325385","messageId":"20170801175236.GS13924@aiede.mtv.corp.google.com","threadId":"46493","inReplyTo":"87mv7kf369.fsf@waller.obbligato.org","subject":"Re: [RFC] Moving main git-subtree development. to GitHub","fromName":"Jonathan Nieder","fromEmail":"jrnieder@gmail.com","sentAt":"2017-08-01T17:52:36Z","receivedAt":"2017-08-01T17:52:44Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"jrnieder@gmail.com","avatar":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/281595?v=4"},"body":"Hi,\n\nDavid A. Greene wrote:\n\n>                                                             Essentially,\n> I would like to do a \"beta\" release of the new code while not impacting\n> existing users of git-subtree in contrib.\n\nSounds like a sensible goal.  In-tree, you can do that by saying\n\"please merge this branch to 'next', but I do not want it in 'master'\nyet\".  But doing it out-of-tree is even more straightforward, since\nyou have complete control of the repository people use and do not have\nto wait for git to pull in your latest changes.\n\n[...]\n> I believe keeping a stable git-subtree in contrib is valuable.\n\nI am not convinced of this.  git-subtree is a well known tool, and in\nits role as a separate project then I think distributors are actually\nmore likely to package it for easy installation by users.  The usual\nbenefit of contrib of providing visibility for a new project seems to\nhave already occurred and not be needed as much as it used to be for\nthis project --- by now it is a very visible project.\n\n[...]\n> Does this mode of operation work for the larger git community?  Are\n> there suggestions of how to make this work as smoothly as possible?\n\nThat said, if we want to keep it in contrib then I think the mode of\noperation you described is a good one.\n\nThanks for your work,\nJonathan\n"},{"id":"325405","messageId":"xmqqzibjdn4p.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com","threadId":"46493","inReplyTo":"87mv7kf369.fsf@waller.obbligato.org","subject":"Re: [RFC] Moving main git-subtree development. to GitHub","fromName":"Junio C Hamano","fromEmail":"gitster@pobox.com","sentAt":"2017-08-01T20:55:02Z","receivedAt":"2017-08-01T20:55:10Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"gitster@pobox.com","avatar":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/54884?v=4"},"body":"greened@obbligato.org (David A. Greene) writes:\n\n> Going forward, I would like to do the main feature and bug fix work on\n> GitHub and periodically subtree-merge to git's main repository under\n> contrib when the code has stabilized and we are reasonably confident\n> interfaces are stable.  This will allow us to experiment with new ideas\n> while keeping a stable codebase for end users.\n> ...\n> Does this mode of operation work for the larger git community?  Are\n> there suggestions of how to make this work as smoothly as possible?\n\nAs a reasonably well-known and mature project, I'd actually welcome\nthe idea of git-subtree graduating from my tree and standing on its\nown, managed in the way its developers and users prefer using the\nworkflow they choose to use.\n\nIf it is a good idea to keep a copy in contrib/, that will stay to\nbe slightly to moderately stale depending on the phase of the\n\"upstream\" development, by periodically accepting code dumps?  I do\nnot have a strong opinion on this.  It is not too much work for me\npersonally to do so, but\n\n - I think git-subtree no longer needs the \"contrib/ bump\" to\n   sustain its userbase and community; otherwise you wouldn't be\n   sending out the message I am responding to.\n\n - Seen from the world outside the Git world, it may be confusing if\n   two different \"sources\" of git-subtree exist; the users and the\n   distro packagers want fewer choices in things like this.\n\nSo I do not have a good answer to what should be done to the copy in\ncontrib/, at least not yet, but I think it is a good idea to separate\nit out as its own development project with its own community.\n\n\n"}]}