Git 'Er Done

The discussions in bug 257706: Host a git repository on Eclipse Foundation servers, support git as the repository of Eclipse projects rages on, wind blowing in both directions.

Let's look at the objections to Git @ Eclipse:

Implementing a common build infrastructure would also be complicated by additional code repositories as well.

Not true; the Athena system already supports CVS and SVN, plus a "build from local sources" mode which works w/ a cvs/svn tree dump, a workspace w/ checked out projects, or (TBD, we haven't tested this yet) with a git repo. And we have an open bug to make repo tree structure irrelevant to the local checkout mode. Party on. There is even a Git plugin for Hudson so you can use Hudson to watch your repo for changes, like it does with CVS and SVN.

Can't use unapproved or non-EPL code at Eclipse.org

Not true; from discussions w/ legal@eclipse.org, I've been told at least twice that as long as you're not SHIPPING code that falls under a non-EPL or non-approved-CQ you're entirely fine to USE that code as server-based infrastructure. Rock on.

Cannot include tooling in a release train or host its project at Eclipse.org

Not true; since eGit is EPL and jGit is BSD, I don't see a problem with distributing the tooling that would connect to a Git repo hosted at Eclipse.org. We worked around the license woes for SVN tooling support. We can do it again. (Of course IANAL, TINLA.)

Conclusion:

No legal concerns with use of Git as hosted server infrastructure. Dash Athena (Common Builder) will support Git. Tooling is safe for inclusion in release trains (either fully like CVS is or partially like SVN is).

Only remaining issue is therefore to get it installed and allocate resources to support/manage it. With all the erosion going on lately, this need should not be trivialized.

Before the thaw this spring, this tree was on top of the bluff. With nothing to support it, it was dropped like an unchampioned feature request.

However, in the spirit of open source, several people on the above bug have offered to help w/ setup, testing, support, etc. So the burden here will be shared, like many things at Eclipse (eg., Babel, Hudson). Erosion continues, but we can all help to shore up the loss.

As most people prolly already know, Sourceforge supports the whole spectrum of VCS and DVCS options. If we don't want people to host projects there, Eclipse has to at least offer something from the DVCS world to encourage participation here. Keep the barrier to entry high, and people will go elsewhere. Lower the barrier, and people will come here to party instead.

With everyone feeling the economic- and time-pinch these days, can we really afford to discourage contributions at Eclipse simply because, as the silverbacks say, "why, back in my day, we only had CVS, vi, and notepad, and dangit, that was good enough!" ?

After all, the new world is inevitable.