4 ms·

That's a bold statement. Any proof or article where Linus states that?

goku12 3y ago
If you mean the plumbing part, I recalled it from memory. I don't have anything from Linus to back this up. But have a look at this from the Pro-Git book [1]: > But because Git was initially a toolkit for a version control system rather than a full user-friendly VCS, it has a number of subcommands that do low-level work and were designed to be chained together UNIX-style or called from scripts. Note that its author (schacon) is also the author of the article and is replying in this discussion thread. I also remember reading somewhere that this design was the reason for the complexity in the porcelain. Will update if I find a reference. [1] https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Porcelain https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Po...
- schacon 3y ago
  Boy, I can't find this either (but also, the kernel mailing list is _really_ difficult to search). I really remember Linus saying something like "it's not a real SCM, but maybe someone could build one on top of it someday" or something like that, but I cannot figure out how to find that. You _can_ see, though, that in his first README, he refers to what he's building as not a "real SCM": https://github.com/git/git/commit/e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23ca2e25604af290#diff-2b7814d3fca2e99e56c51b6ff2aa313ea6e9da6424804240aa8ad891fdfe0900R89-R93 https://github.com/git/git/commit/e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23...
  - schacon 3y ago
    So, I found the git-pasky project in the _very_ early days (like a couple days after Linus's first git commits) and iirc, it was an attempt to build an SCM-like thing over the plumbing that Linus was working on: https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=111315057710062&w=2 https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=111315057710062&w=2
  - goku12 3y ago
    Here is what I found based on your lead ("real SCM", from 17 Apr 2005): > That was really what I always personally saw "git" as, just the plumbing beneath the surface. For example, something like arch, which is based on "patches and tar-balls" (I think darcs is similar in that respect), could use git as a _hell_ of a better "history of tar-balls". [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/Pine.LNX.4.58.0504170916080.7211@ppc970.osdl.org/ https://lore.kernel.org/git/Pine.LNX.4.58.0504170916080.7211...
    - schacon 3y ago
      Nice, yes, I think this is what I was remembering. Good find!
oasisaimlessly 3y ago
Well, the existence of and story behind cogito [1] should be decent proof. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito_(software) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito_(software)
sodapopcan 3y ago
I wouldn't say it's very bold at all. I don't have any links but if you've been using git for the past decade, you would have heard something along these lines. "A toolkit for building VCS's" is one thing I remember reading. There was little in the way of polish when it came to porcelain commands when people started using it. I think there are still many people who don't use it who still think it's still this way.

If you mean the plumbing part, I recalled it from memory. I don't have anything from Linus to back this up. But have a look at this from the Pro-Git book [1]: > But because Git was initially a toolkit for a version control system rather than a full user-friendly VCS, it has a number of subcommands that do low-level work and were designed to be chained together UNIX-style or called from scripts. Note that its author (schacon) is also the author of the article and is replying in this discussion thread. I also remember reading somewhere that this design was the reason for the complexity in the porcelain. Will update if I find a reference. [1] https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Porcelain https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Po...

schacon 3y ago
Boy, I can't find this either (but also, the kernel mailing list is _really_ difficult to search). I really remember Linus saying something like "it's not a real SCM, but maybe someone could build one on top of it someday" or something like that, but I cannot figure out how to find that. You _can_ see, though, that in his first README, he refers to what he's building as not a "real SCM": https://github.com/git/git/commit/e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23ca2e25604af290#diff-2b7814d3fca2e99e56c51b6ff2aa313ea6e9da6424804240aa8ad891fdfe0900R89-R93 https://github.com/git/git/commit/e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23...
- schacon 3y ago
  So, I found the git-pasky project in the _very_ early days (like a couple days after Linus's first git commits) and iirc, it was an attempt to build an SCM-like thing over the plumbing that Linus was working on: https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=111315057710062&w=2 https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=111315057710062&w=2
- goku12 3y ago
  Here is what I found based on your lead ("real SCM", from 17 Apr 2005): > That was really what I always personally saw "git" as, just the plumbing beneath the surface. For example, something like arch, which is based on "patches and tar-balls" (I think darcs is similar in that respect), could use git as a _hell_ of a better "history of tar-balls". [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/Pine.LNX.4.58.0504170916080.7211@ppc970.osdl.org/ https://lore.kernel.org/git/Pine.LNX.4.58.0504170916080.7211...
  - schacon 3y ago
    Nice, yes, I think this is what I was remembering. Good find!

oasisaimlessly 3y ago

Well, the existence of and story behind cogito [1] should be decent proof. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito_(software) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito_(software)

sodapopcan 3y ago

I wouldn't say it's very bold at all. I don't have any links but if you've been using git for the past decade, you would have heard something along these lines. "A toolkit for building VCS's" is one thing I remember reading. There was little in the way of polish when it came to porcelain commands when people started using it. I think there are still many people who don't use it who still think it's still this way.