Re: Bazaar references complicate the git transition

[Eric S. Raymond]

David Reitter <address@hidden>:
> Please do not alter history in the git repository.  This would be
> bad for everyone downstream of the git mirror, and downright
> catastrophic for projects like mine (with 50+ merges of the course
> of years).

I think I can work with you to prevent a catastrophe.  I've faced this
kind of situation before, and I've built the best tools in existence 
for coping with it.

> Why not use the mechanism that is foreseen for revising commit
> messages going forward?  Either "notes", as suggested, or a separate
> file (like the Changelog file).  If and when someone needs to
> resolve a reference, it could be easily done manually or
> automatically.

I know from lots of previous experience with messy conversions (NUT,
Hercules, Roundup, groff, and a number of others) that these sorts of
halfway-out-of-band mechanisms are fragile and *never* work as well as
advertised.  The pain you think you are avoiding with them will come 
back redoubled.
-- 
                <a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/";>Eric S. Raymond</a>