Re: git and quilt
On Sun, 07 Feb 2010, Vincent Bernat wrote:
> While git allows to keep track of modifications, it is difficult for
> upstream (or some other people) to review a precise patch. Or maybe you
> rebase master branch on the upstream one (which would be great to see
> watch patches are applying to upstream but will lead to difficulties
> when tracking master branch)?
Well, a non-native Debian package would need to use a git workflow that is
optimized for downstream maintenance. And that does mean rebases. One
should never confuse the optimal *upstream* git workflow, with downstream
workflows. Anything that goes "never rebase" is solely for pure upstream
use.
Downstream, you "fork" from upstream each release, either by merging topic
branches (_rebasing_ them if any sort of conflict happens, all merge commits
must be perfectly clean ones), or rebasing the debian changes on top of the
new upstream and calling that the new 'master' branch.
This doesn't mean a lot of branches. You just need "master", and to tag
every release so that you can get it back (and even make it a permanent or
temporary branch) at any time.
And you shouldn't have a mess of a history, either. All patches cleaned up.
If this doesn't suit your style of developent, you should have a work repo
somewhere, and keep the package repo separate and clean.
There are different ways of doing the above, of course. The important
details are exactly what you pointed at: it needs to result in clean commits
that are easy to locate, and that apply cleanly to the upstream version
matching the package's (and not to some past upstream version).
--
"One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond
where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot
Henrique Holschuh
Reply to: