Re: git pull on Linux/ACPI release tree

From: Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
Date: Jan 10, 2006, 03:04 UTC
Message-ID: <7v4q4cbx6l.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0601091845160.5588@g5.osdl.org>

Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> writes:

Show 9 quoted lines

> Now, obviously, for various reasons we want to avoid having those kinds of 
> linkages as much as possible. We like to have develpment of different 
> subsystems as independent as possible, not because it makes for a "more 
> readable history", but because it makes it a lot easier to debug - if we 
> have three independent features/development trees, they can be debugged 
> independently too, while any linkages inevitably also mean that any bugs 
> end up being interlinked..
>
> 		Linus

Yes. If subproject B uses new features from A (either upstream or sibling subproject), pulling A into B is inevitable.

On the other hand, if such merges becomes too frequent, it may be a sign that A's feature set and interface is still changing too rapidly for downstream use, but developers A and B are not communicating well and B has not noticed that B might be better off taking a break, addressing other non-overlapping areas while giving a bit of time for A to settle things down.

An SCM is just _one_ of the ways for developers to communicate, it will never be a replacement for developer communication.