Re: we now have "lilypond" organization on GitHub

[David Kastrup]

Janek Warchoł <address@hidden> writes:

> 2013/9/16 David Kastrup <address@hidden>:

>> So the question is what we should be telling the Savannah operators
>> to make working on GNU projects using Git more feasible.
>
> Here you go:
> A web interface with online editor, allowing to create commits from a
> web browser, on any branch (as well as creating branches), integrated
> with pull requests and automatic forking (so that when someone without
> write access tries to modify a file, Savannah automatically forks the
> repository for him and when he's done making the change, a pull
> request is sent to the original repository).  Also, being able to post
> comments on commits, and integration of pull requests with code
> review.  And the ability to update a pull request with new commits.
>
> As far as i know Savannah doesn't have these features.  When it will
> have, i'll be happy to switch, but i don't expect it will happen today
> or tomorrow, so i'm going to use Github for now.

Now basically we have to split these into two different sets of
requirements: Savannah does not provide accounts or services to the
general public; its services will be restricted to actual developers.

But what you list above mostly is _not_ related to participating with
the project but rather with managing one's own repository using a
graphical interface that just happens to be provided as a web service,
in a similar vein to Gmail providing a web interface to handling a mail
account.

Now making people dependent on a central server for an activity better
done locally kind of defeats the point of Git as a distributed version
control system: it means you can't do basic work offline.

Obviously, Github is not interested in promoting workflows bypassing
their central servers, but that does not mean that one can't think about
that oneself.

So the question is: what kind of tools should people have for working on
their own repository, and what kind of tools are needed at the server
side?  Naturally, it would appear to make sense to have some sort of
submission mechanism.

-- 
David Kastrup