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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

#161

Post by el_presidente »

webcowboy wrote: post #96
marcamillion wrote: post #68

I don't mean to be overly critical, but is it just me or are the 'godfathers' of computer science starting to sound like cranky old men? I mean....ok....this pull request being inferior to the way HE (the creator of Git) imagined it (or implemented it) is a bit petty imho. What's with the complaining? I am sure this is not the first time I have heard him complaining about something on Github or some other 'new techno…

"The truth shouldn't be sugarcoated." Okay, fine. The way he handled this particular issue seems like a dick move. Being one of the godfathers of computer science isn't a license to act like a jerk. There's no question he's right, but there's nice-right and jerk-right. This sort of response seems like it only inhibits people's desire to get involved.

> This sort of response seems like it only inhibits people's desire to get involved.

How many projects have had as many people involved as the kernel? Not just software, any project. With people coming and going and working on whatever they want. For 20 years.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#162

Post by chj »

krschultz wrote: post #114
marcamillion wrote: post #68

I don't mean to be overly critical, but is it just me or are the 'godfathers' of computer science starting to sound like cranky old men? I mean....ok....this pull request being inferior to the way HE (the creator of Git) imagined it (or implemented it) is a bit petty imho. What's with the complaining? I am sure this is not the first time I have heard him complaining about something on Github or some other 'new techno…

I don't see where he is being unreasonable. He made git with his specific method of managing the Linux source repository in mind. Now someone wants him to ignore part of his tool for their connivence and he said no. He's not saying "we should all boycott GitHub because of it". He's not saying "they're idiots for doing this". He's saying 'The Linux project works one way, GitHub doesn't support that way, so we're not u…

> He's saying 'The Linux project works one way, GitHub doesn't support that way, so we're not using it, and they' won't change it'. That's it.

That is the spirit!

I remembered he once said talking angrily is to scare idiots off.

What a man.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#163

Post by spullara »

newman314 wrote: post #99
bad_user wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 branchi…

IIRC, Facebook ran into performance issues with git. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3548824 Not sure if they have been resolved.

Google style mono-repository development currently appears to be impossible with Git. If there was a more robust way to manage multiple repositories as a single one, that might work -- subtree and submodule aren't cutting it.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#164

Post by bithive123 »

marcamillion wrote: post #156
bithive123 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's all about context. To someone who only knows PHP the opinions of most polyglot programmers seem cruel and elitist. Put me in a room full of Moodle developers and everyone will come away thinking of me as "that cynical guy who is always trashing everything we do". Are people so averse to acknowledging the bounds of their own experience that they discount other views over a hint of emotion? Does every cantankerous…

I think it is subjective - unfortunately. With a bigger microphone comes greater responsibility. I am not taking Github's side on this particular issue - but this issue struck a bigger tone (for me)...where I have seen those with a larger microphone (by virtue of who they are) seem to be complaining louder (publicly) in recent history. It could just be that their microphone has gotten louder - but if it has, to a lar…

Yes. Opinions, passionately delivered, will correctly be perceived by some as inflammatory or unfair.

Each observer can decide if the remark is appropriate or not. We are more likely to forgive Linus on his "home turf" than Obama singling out a particular business.

This highlights the problem, not everyone thinks critically about context so you end up with people writing off good practices because the advocate was mean and/or avoiding a bakery because the president complained.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#165

Post by vibrunazo »

mindstab wrote: post #85

The man wrote git for use on the Linux kernel. Trying to argue with him about how to use git with respect to your tiny patch to the Linux kernel seems... like missing the point on a great many things. The rules for submitting kernel patches are laid out in great detail. Do you really thing arguing with the gatekeeper is going to change anything?

On the very least, knowing his reasons is very informative.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#166

Post by Maxious »

augusto_hp wrote: post #126
rit wrote: post #55

Fun Fact: If you tack '.patch' onto the end of a Pull Request you get a 'git am' compatible patch file complete with the email address that Linus complains is missing ;) https://github.com/torvalds/linux/pull/17.patch EDIT: I should note this works on any commit as well. Take this commit from Casbah (the Scala MongoDB driver I work on) - https://github.com/mongodb/casbah/commit/990a36fbde69db26689... - removing .patc…

Great! Didn't knew that! How did you get to know that?

After all these obnoxious recruiters emailed me "hey, saw your stuff on github, could you help me make my quota? giggles"

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#167

Post by kylemaxwell »

mindstab wrote: post #85

The man wrote git for use on the Linux kernel. Trying to argue with him about how to use git with respect to your tiny patch to the Linux kernel seems... like missing the point on a great many things. The rules for submitting kernel patches are laid out in great detail. Do you really thing arguing with the gatekeeper is going to change anything?

In that vein, when somebody tells Linus:

"You might have fun raging on the internet, but I think your goals would be better served if..."

He rightly responds:

"Umm. I think I've been able to reach my goals on the internet better than most people."

I believe in civility and courtesy in many areas, and Linus doesn't phrase things exactly as I would. But then, I don't have his responsibility or experiences, either - and while people can disagree about whether he expresses his thoughts in a polite manner, he certainly does so in a clear one.

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#168

Post by trustfundbaby »

I get the point he's trying to make and completely agree with it, but the way he presented his issues just made me lose respect for him a little bit ... I just wish someone that respected was able to present his views in a way that younger developers could emulate.

I can't help thinking tons of "rockstar/ninja" developers out there are going to embrace this abrasive style of disagreeing with people and totally rationalize it by thinking well "that's how the guy who wrote Linux does it, so that's how I'm going to do it"

Someone that well respected should (and this is my opinion) never have to reach to the level of addressing someone so far-removed from the heights they've attained, as a 'moron', when simply ignoring them would do. But I'm nobody important, so what the hell do I know about anything ...

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#169

Post by vibrunazo »

rit wrote: post #55

Fun Fact: If you tack '.patch' onto the end of a Pull Request you get a 'git am' compatible patch file complete with the email address that Linus complains is missing ;) https://github.com/torvalds/linux/pull/17.patch EDIT: I should note this works on any commit as well. Take this commit from Casbah (the Scala MongoDB driver I work on) - https://github.com/mongodb/casbah/commit/990a36fbde69db26689... - removing .patc…

He answered to that:

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/pull/17#issuecomment-56637...

Re: Linus Torvalds won't do github pull requests

#170

Post by trustfundbaby »

zbowling wrote: post #34
eridius wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I'm sorry man, I have to disagree with this ... I watched git take off with the launch of github, and I've seen enough people moved to git because of github to tell you that ... sure git would be successful, but without the mindshare of github in the developer community, it would not be as popular as it is now. at. all.

When git was announced, I got it and played around with it for a bit, but I went back to svn, it was only with all the OSS that I cared about working with (rails gems anyone?) or on that I started caring about git in a serious way. I'm only one datapoint though.

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