GitHub Desktop is now available • Hacker News Board

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#101

Post by hueving » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:29 PM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #35

Github probably considers the "depth" of git use by the average user to be one of its KPIs. Git is extremely powerful, if you are only doing checkouts and commits you are under-utilizing the tool and also underutilizing the service. So it's smart for Github to build tools that lower the bar for a) understanding git, and b) using git's more powerful features. Useful metrics would be things like the percentage of users…

>a) understanding git, and b) using git's more powerful features.

But then you start talking about pull requests, which are not a feature of git. They are specific to github (e.g. try finding a PR comment in the git repo).

Does the new tool help with advanced git stuff, or does it just serve the github workflow?

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#102

Post by mwcampbell » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

pyre wrote: post #41

mwcampbell wrote: post #22

The Windows app is still WPF-based and still uses ClickOnce for its installer. The web page claims that this is a new unified app, replacing GitHub for Mac and GitHub for Windows. But it seems to me that there are still two separate apps. I had expected something like a desktop app using web technologies via Electron, like Atom.

Just because the UI layer and installer are using OS-specific libraries doesn't mean it isn't a unified app under the hood.

You're right, of course. My comment was premature. But I've looked at both the Windows and Mac apps now, and as far as I can tell, there's no common core besides (probably) libgit2. Each app is implemented using a language runtime and frameworks specific to its host platform. So any unification is only skin-deep. Maybe I'm just envious of companies that have the resources and discipline to keep up the appearance of a unified app while in fact maintaining multiple independent implementations. FWIW, if I were going to implement a unified multi-platform app, I'd use SWT; in fact, I did on a recent project.

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#103

Post by em3rgent0rdr » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

JeremyMorgan wrote: post #28

harel wrote: post #2

Its a shame that a Linux version is not included. A significant volume of developers work on Linux. If doing a multi platform application, why exclude it?

It's likely they felt it's not worth the time since most Linux users are using the CLI for everything else, and likely wouldn't be interested in a GUI. Personally I've never used the Github GUI and have no plans to, running the commands is fast and easy.

It's rather embarrassing that github would consider it too difficult or too troublesome to release Linux builds. Very insulting towards a huge chunk of its user base.

Regarding GUI, how do you initiate a pull request on the command line?

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#104

Post by hueving » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:32 PM UTC

JohnTHaller wrote: post #61

jvehent wrote: post #3

While I find this initiative fantastic, it's a bit frustrating that Github, a company that lives on source code being open, does not publish the code of tools like this one.

Github lives on companies and individuals that pay for private repositories hosted on Github's proprietary (read: not open source) software-as-a-service hosted infrastructure. While git itself is open source, almost nothing else that Github does is open.

>While git itself is open source, almost nothing else that Github does is open.

This makes it sound like Github develops and open sources git, which it doesn't. They just built on top of it and have no control over the roadmap.

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#105

Post by mwcampbell » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:33 PM UTC

kitsunesoba wrote: post #68

mwcampbell wrote: post #22

The Windows app is still WPF-based and still uses ClickOnce for its installer. The web page claims that this is a new unified app, replacing GitHub for Mac and GitHub for Windows. But it seems to me that there are still two separate apps. I had expected something like a desktop app using web technologies via Electron, like Atom.

Please no. GitHub for Mac is an extremely solid, smooth, light little native app and I would hate to see it vanish in favor of a heavy chromium-based monstrosity. I don't use Windows but if I did I'd prefer a WPF or .NET app over a chrome wrapper there, too. Common core+separate native UIs will always be the best sort of cross platform app in my eyes.

I'm sure you're right about a native Cocoa app feeling nicer than a Chromium-based one. But on Windows, WPF is notorious for poor performance; a Chromium-based app might actually be better on that platform.

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#106

Post by hueving » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:34 PM UTC

thruflo wrote: post #94

MNOLJNDRDY wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, I feel the same. By default, git commit just shows me "M /src/foo/whatever", I prefer to use a GUI where I can then click on that and it shows me a nice fullscreen visual diff with colour highlighting etc. Just works a lot better for me in being productive and reviewing things before I commit(an essential part of any workflow)

Try `git add -p`

or `git diff`

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#107

Post by hueving » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:36 PM UTC

the_ancient wrote: post #79

For Mac or Windows.... it is just insulting that GitHub continues to Treat linux has a second class citizen when with out Linux Git would not be a project...

They don't participate in the open source community. They're similar to Apple in that they take open source stuff and build a closed ecosystem on top of it.

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#108

Post by odonnellryan » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:37 PM UTC

jvehent wrote: post #3

While I find this initiative fantastic, it's a bit frustrating that Github, a company that lives on source code being open, does not publish the code of tools like this one.

This is true, but I think the amazing thing about free software is it is free to use however you'd like. Just like free speech, sometimes the outcome of FOSS isn't completely desirable.

Again, lots of good has come from GitHub, not limited by:

Competition

Publicity of Git

Awesome free hosting for countless FOSS projects!

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#109

Post by hlfw0rd » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:40 PM UTC

jvehent wrote: post #3

While I find this initiative fantastic, it's a bit frustrating that Github, a company that lives on source code being open, does not publish the code of tools like this one.

Both open source and close source have their place, and a bias towards either should be avoided. It frustrates me that so many view the two as mutually exclusive company decisions.

Re: GitHub Desktop is now available

#110

Post by kitsunesoba » Wed, Aug 12, 2015, 5:40 PM UTC

mwcampbell wrote: post #105

kitsunesoba wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please no. GitHub for Mac is an extremely solid, smooth, light little native app and I would hate to see it vanish in favor of a heavy chromium-based monstrosity. I don't use Windows but if I did I'd prefer a WPF or .NET app over a chrome wrapper there, too. Common core+separate native UIs will always be the best sort of cross platform app in my eyes.

I'm sure you're right about a native Cocoa app feeling nicer than a Chromium-based one. But on Windows, WPF is notorious for poor performance; a Chromium-based app might actually be better on that platform.

Would .NET be preferable to WPF?