Re: GWindows and David Botton

[Samuel Tardieu <sam@rfc1149.net>]

>>>>> "Stephen" == Stephen Leake <stephen_leake@acm.org> writes:

Stephen> Is there an available, robustly supported server that
Stephen> provides TLA/arch access, like SourceForge does for CVS?

This is not the way GNU Arch is usually works.

In a GNU Arch world, someone (A) sets up a repository that he can
write and others can read (on its home ADSL connection for
example). He commits in it, possibly using branches, since they are
very easy to setup.

When another developer (B) wants to participate, he branches off (A)
repository, as branches are cross-repository. He makes its changes,
commits into his own publicly visible but private repository, possibly
with branches too. When his changes are ready and committed, (A) can
then merge the changes from (B) repository. Of course, in the
meantime, (B) may have merged some new changes from (A), but GNU Arch
takes care of all that and remembers what has been merged in a
repository.

What if (A) machine gets off the net? No problem: (B) can work on its
own, branching made a copy of (A) repository at the branch point.

If (C) wants to experiment with the project, he can do the same thing,
pull a version from (A), import some changes from (B) and add some of
his own in his own private publicly-visible repository. Then (A) and
(B) will both be able to pull (C) changes if they wish, GNU Arch being
able to sort out how to merge all that, as it knows about the versions
that have been merged at any time (this information is present in
every repository).

The way you use it is that you have a main integrator which is in
charge of the official release for the project. Everyone can work by
branching the official version and updating regularly from here. The
integrator pulls changes from workers' repository at will, test them
and adds them in the official repository.

If one part of the project requires special expertise, an expert can
setup his branch in his own private publicly-visible repository, and
take care of integrating changes concerning this area. The official
maintainer would then blindly merge changes from the expert.

This is *very* scalable. The learning curve is quite important, but
once you get used to it, you get a productivity never encountered with
tools like CVS, Subversion, PRCS (great branching but lacks network
capability).

Of particular interest are also Darcs and Monotone, but this is
another story :)

  Sam
-- 
Samuel Tardieu -- sam@rfc1149.net -- http://www.rfc1149.net/sam