[ruby-core:25377] Re: [Feature #2033] Move Core Development to Git

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Eleanor
McHugh<[e-mail]> wrote:
> The point I suspect that a lot of those pushing for the move to git are
> missing is that the current core team are comfortable with SVN.

A very correct point,  I'm in complete agreement.


> There has to
> be a compelling argument for how the change would support their existing
> workflow but from what I've read the pressure is mainly about how git will
> appeal to a broader community: a community that if it were really so keen
> for extending development could already fork MRI and take the codebase in
> new directions.

Actually having made the transition between svn (and svk at times) and
git, I'd say one needs to get comfortable with the changes one
must/should make to ones workflow.  It's like learning to ride a bike
you need to get the confidence that you can keep your balance.

Git is not just a new svn. Although you can start out using it as if
it were, eventually you'll run into things which will confuse you.
I've run into similar issues as Eric Hodel reported with git, but it's
not that such things are unique to git, I've run into similar things
with svn and other version control systems in the past, it's just that
the way in, and out of those kind of confusing places is different.

On the other hand, in retrospect, I seem to find myself in those
strange places far less frequently with git than with svn. And the
fact that git changes are non-destructive gives me more confidence.

As for being too agile, as others have pointed out git doesn't force a
wild-west approach to the code base.  Linux has been using git for
longer than any open source project, and Linus and his committers have
maintained control.

What git does though is allow users of the software to maintain local
patches which are both easy to submit for consideration as part of the
main branch, but also easily keep those patches in sync with the main
branch as it evolves.

I also should say something about the effect that github has had, by
adding 'social' features to git, making it easy for both project
owners and contributors to have visibility to what's happening on a
family of forks, github makes contributing to, and maintaining an open
source project much more pleasant, once you get used to how git and
github work.

My purpose here isn't to push or force anyone to 'move' to git, but I
hope it encourages more experimentation with it as a means of
self-education.


-- 
Rick DeNatale

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