Re: version control and LIP

Simon Marlow wrote:

The original question was whether to move the LIP repository to CVS or keep it in an arch repository, or use something else. This seems to have lead on to the question of whether the whole of fptools should move to a new VC system.

My opinion: I hate CVS, but I don't think we should switch at this stage. The main problems in CVS that affect us every day are:

- lack of support for versioning of directories (I'd like to rearrange bits of the tree, but find that the fact that we'd lose history means it isn't worth it).

This can be done in CVS. (I'm not a CVS fan, but that is neither here nor there.) CVS can't do it automatically. However, you can easily move the RCS files and in this manner change the directory structure. What you lose is any history of the directory operations themselves. But it is possible to move files.

- lack of atomic multi-file commits. I often want to know "what other files were modified by this commit". Or to "merge this entire changeset into the branch". Neither of these is well supported by CVS, although they are possible to do by hand.

- lack of "good" support for branches and merging. If branches were easier to use, we'd use them more. Instead, we end up keeping lots of local development outside CVS altogether. Distributed repos might help here too.

I looked at Subversion, but I must admit I'm not too keen on keeping the repository in a monolithic database. In some sense it might be the Right Thing, but it certainly limits transparency, and what external tools you can use on the repo.

Distribution isn't something we really need, but it might be nice. Fixing the above 3 issues I'd say is more important.

Sven's point about the amount of momentum that CVS has is a good one. Changing our VC would be a huge upheaval, which is why it isn't going to happen any time soon. The ideal alternative isn't yet clear (to me) either.

Cheers, Simon

...

-----Original Message----- From: libraries-bounces@haskell.org [mailto:libraries-bounces@haskell.org] On Behalf Of Simon Peyton-Jones Sent: 15 March 2004 09:17 To: Isaac Jones; Krasimir Angelov Cc: libraries@haskell.org Subject: RE: version control and LIP

I don't have any opinion about the relative merits of different VC systems (except selfish reluctance to learn a new one) but whatever you choose *must* work flawlessly on Windows as well as Unix. Lots of people use Haskell on Windows machines.

With Gour's encouragement I managed to build GHC quite easily using MSYS, a lightweight cousin of Cygwin. When I install the MSYS developer toolkit I get CVS and ssh. I'm certain I don't get arch/darcs etc. It's not a big deal to install something else, but the something else should be guaranteed available for Windows and (strong preference) not require Cygwin.

Simon

| -----Original Message----- | From: libraries-bounces@haskell.org [mailto:libraries-bounces@haskell.org] On Behalf Of Isaac Jones | Sent: 15 March 2004 02:51 | To: Krasimir Angelov | Cc: libraries@haskell.org | Subject: Re: version control and LIP | | Krasimir Angelov writes: | | > Does the arch works under Windows? | | It seems that there is some support, as you've already discovered. | Apparently, cygwin is only one out of 3 options: | | http://wiki.gnuarch.org/moin.cgi/Native_20WIN32_20Support | | I hope you can solve this problem. Perhaps this is another reason I | should move to darcs? How's darcs support in windows? | | | peace, | | isaac | _______________________________________________ | Libraries mailing list | Libraries@haskell.org | http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/libraries _______________________________________________ Libraries mailing list Libraries@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/libraries

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