Re: [RFC] Fourth round of support for cloning submodules

From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date: May 24, 2007, 18:11 UTC
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0705241908040.4648@racer.site>
In-Reply-To: <20070524175519.GU942MdfPADPa@greensroom.kotnet.org>

Hi,

On Thu, 24 May 2007, Sven Verdoolaege wrote:

Show 19 quoted lines

> On Thu, May 24, 2007 at 10:40:52AM -0700, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, 24 May 2007, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> > > 
> > > Why does this have to be out-of-tree and unversioned to begin
> > > with?
> > 
> > I _really_ think that the right approach is to
> > 
> >  - have the submodules information under version control (and I'd 
> >    personally call it the ".gitmodules" file, but whatever)
> > 
> >    This gives you the defaults, and the ability to change them. Remember: 
> >    if you get some "config" information at "git clone" time, you're 
> >    *screwed* if the thing ever changes!
> 
> If you allow an override, then I don't see how having the initial
> information in the tree is any better.

Isn't that obvious? _Most_ people will _not_ override the information.

Plus, it is an easy solution to your problem, without having to touch a lot of real core parts of Git. Simple is beautiful. And less buggy.

> When new information gets in from the tree, you're going to ignore it 
> anyway.

No. Not if it is _not_ overridden.

> What happens if the URL changes?
> You have to modify .gitmodules in _every_ branch you have?

Oh yes. Exactly the same as when you have an INSTALL file and the URL of some project changes which your project depends on. That's life.

> What if someone is working on his own branch of the superproject
> that needs some changes in his own subproject?

Uhm. Then you can either just override that URL, _or_ you can branch from the superproject, changing .gitmodules as you wish.

> He needs to modify .gitmodules, but when the changes go upstream,
> this .gitmodules changes get merged as well.

If you change the superproject, that is. And then only if you don't have a to-merge branch. Your problem is not specific to superprojects, and it has been solved already.

> Now imagine several developers doing this.
> You end up continually having to modify .gitmodules.

No, just your config. Once.

Ciao, Dscho