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Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

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Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#31

I hope the github folks get involved in this. I'm specially interested in what they have to say about why they decided to go with what Linus calls _their own totally inferior version_. Love this no-nonsense style, but let me say that it's no only the style, but that Linus has enough on his side to back it up.

He made the same comments when he first moved some projects to GitHub. I believe the kernel.org servers were having issues at the time. In response to these comments, we pushed out several changes nearly immediately, including a completely redesigned Pull Request email notification.

We're always listening for feedback and are working on improving the experience for everyone. It's too bad that useful bits of feedback like this turn into another drama episode though.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#32
post #13

Considering Linus created git, if I were running github I'd tend to listen to whatever he had to say about it...

Considering that GitHub is probably the second best thing about Git after the fact of its existence, I think that both sides of the table have something valid to say.

However, they also have different concerns. It's only natural that the Linux kernel have stricter commit requirements than most of the projects on github. In the wide respect, you want things to be kinda fast, loose, and easy. However, I wouldn't be inclined to run a kernel with fast, loose, and easy standards.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#34
post #12

Considering Linus created git, if I were running github I'd tend to listen to whatever he had to say about it...

Devil's advocate: Considering GitHub popularized git, if I were in charge of git I'd listen to what the GitHub guys have to say about it.

Github wasn't directly what made git big.

Linus using git for the linux kernel, the bitkeeper drama, and doing talks about why git is better and everything is broken made git popular.

Github has done a lot to push it, but even without github, git would still be huge.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#36

I hope the github folks get involved in this. I'm specially interested in what they have to say about why they decided to go with what Linus calls _their own totally inferior version_. Love this no-nonsense style, but let me say that it's no only the style, but that Linus has enough on his side to back it up.

You only love the style because he has enough on his side to back it up. Anyone else that acted like Linus does on a regular basis would be considered childish and arrogant. I'd take Github's version of any feature, any day, over the official git version, any time they differed - Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software interface-wise, and pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability fro…

> Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software

Then you probably didn't use any SCCS before git. Because CVS is even uglier, Bitkeeper is the reason Linus wrote git and every other I tried was more "user-hostile" than git.

> pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability front is Github.

You sound like a Visual Basic programmer who just saw C for the first time.

Edit: Bitkeeper, not bucket!

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#37

I hope the github folks get involved in this. I'm specially interested in what they have to say about why they decided to go with what Linus calls _their own totally inferior version_. Love this no-nonsense style, but let me say that it's no only the style, but that Linus has enough on his side to back it up.

You only love the style because he has enough on his side to back it up. Anyone else that acted like Linus does on a regular basis would be considered childish and arrogant. I'd take Github's version of any feature, any day, over the official git version, any time they differed - Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software interface-wise, and pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability fro…

So, you are saying that if you were the maintainer of a project which required a feature such that the Github implementation was inadequate but the official git implementation was OK, you'd use the Github implementation anyway?

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#38

I hope the github folks get involved in this. I'm specially interested in what they have to say about why they decided to go with what Linus calls _their own totally inferior version_. Love this no-nonsense style, but let me say that it's no only the style, but that Linus has enough on his side to back it up.

You only love the style because he has enough on his side to back it up. Anyone else that acted like Linus does on a regular basis would be considered childish and arrogant. I'd take Github's version of any feature, any day, over the official git version, any time they differed - Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software interface-wise, and pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability fro…

     Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece
     of software interface-wise
It's funny you say that, because Git is the only version control system where working with branches, forks and merges in big projects is not only doable, but in 90% of the cases painless. You can't really appreciate Git until you've tried doing the same tasks in Perforce, SVN and CVS. No other similar software has the same painless approach to branching and merging, not even other distributed systems.

Also, its interface is hostile because it requires the user to understand a little about its internals. You may disagree that this is good design, however it gives you unprecedented control over the repository, which you need often when the shit hits the fan. Also, Git is freakishly fast and efficient. Much like C, an interface done with taste, but that doesn't appeal to those with weak hearts. And the fact that such projects as Linux are maintained with Git, projects which have a huge number of contributers, it's a true testament to Git's awesomeness.

And btw, considering how version control is one of the most important tools at your disposal, if not the most important in big teams, stop reading those SVN 2 Git tutorials and go read a freaking manual. It's worth it, because you'd be amazed at how much power it has under the hood.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#39
Man, now I feel like a total hack. I love the github pull request. I do insist that my devs use a good style (i.e. first line is a summary and wrap at 80 chars) but I love the user interface for looking at diffs and doing a code review. I had no idea it was inferior until reading this and now I find myself in the awkward position that I don't care. Have I really become the guy who values an efficient team process more that adherence to esoteric specifications. God, I can't believe it's come to that.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You only love the style because he has enough on his side to back it up. Anyone else that acted like Linus does on a regular basis would be considered childish and arrogant. I'd take Github's version of any feature, any day, over the official git version, any time they differed - Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software interface-wise, and pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability fro…

> Git is a notoriously user-hostile piece of software Then you probably didn't use any SCCS before git. Because CVS is even uglier, Bitkeeper is the reason Linus wrote git and every other I tried was more "user-hostile" than git. > pretty much the only thing it has going for it on the usability front is Github. You sound like a Visual Basic programmer who just saw C for the first time. Edit: Bitkeeper, not bucket!

Bitkeeper. Bitbucket (and Mercurial) did not exist when Linus started writing Git.
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