On 2019-10-31 08:27, Gregor Riepl wrote:
Git repo is only part of that solution.
The primary reason for difficulty switching to another 'git host' (gitlab, github, https://git.sr.ht/, or self hosted) is issue tracking...
That is true, but it's also not something that is essential or needs to live on Github. I've seen projects that direct users to Launchpad for issue tracking, but accept PRs on Github, for example.
In the worst case, you will lose issue discussions, but you will never lose the code.
Launchpad is just another centralization, you just moved your problem there.
And really, a single interface for code insight and review is really handy.
And that.... is why projects on Github won't leave github easily.
Sure, but do they need to?
They need to be in a place where people can contribute and where code does not go missing.
I thought it was simply ridiculous when projects left for gitlab.com after Microsoft acquired Github. Admittedly, Gitlab is better software, but I don't think this played a big part.
Is it really 'better'? Also politically they are under fire...
Everything has pro/cons there, and they are all centralized platforms.
Check the Subject line ;)
If the project maintainers really cared about not being hosted by one of the biggest data empires on the planet, they should have moved away from proprietary services altogether. But that would have reduced visibility and ease of use for contributors.
You mentioned launchpad (more an Ubuntu thing), Debian has self-hosted Gitlab, and many projects have their own instances of repo.
Pick what you want to maintain and works for you.... but remember those backups / private copies...
Of course, this could partially be solved with better commit messages, but who has time for that eh ;)
Well, you should consider writing these anyway. Just like good code comments. Think about much easier it will be to understand your own code after 2 years. ;)
I do so... others will not.
(who mirrors his projects on github, but has a private original of the repo self hosted; issue tracking thus is public and private...).
I think this is the best of both worlds.
It is a balance, not every programmer is willing to afford that amount of effort...
Many programmers are not sysadmins, or network folks.... and some claim to be 'devops', but that is just using a git-style tool to track changes, they are not programmers and sysadmins at the same time either.
([1] Defining programmer as somebody who can crank out a fully working system, not a few scripts or modification, as the distinction there).
Greets, Jeroen