From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Jonathan Nieder Subject: Re: GSoC questions Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:11:53 -0500 Message-ID: <20110328001152.GA11294@elie> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Cc: git@vger.kernel.org, libgit2@librelist.org, Jeff King To: Alexandru Sutii X-From: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Mon Mar 28 02:12:09 2011 Return-path: Envelope-to: gcvg-git-2@lo.gmane.org Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.132.180.67]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1Q4040-0007cL-Nz for gcvg-git-2@lo.gmane.org; Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:12:09 +0200 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751956Ab1C1AMA convert rfc822-to-quoted-printable (ORCPT ); Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:12:00 -0400 Received: from mail-yi0-f46.google.com ([209.85.218.46]:41265 "EHLO mail-yi0-f46.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751262Ab1C1AL7 convert rfc822-to-8bit (ORCPT ); Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:11:59 -0400 Received: by yia27 with SMTP id 27so996112yia.19 for ; Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:11:59 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:date:from:to:cc:subject:message-id:references :mime-version:content-type:content-disposition :content-transfer-encoding:in-reply-to:user-agent; bh=6+O+QfYRwIIx+5mD0zo+w3Qk6ISaZIipGO00pfpE+EQ=; b=XybE9eK4RVeubtTICNcHosgSHiox1SpTb9pVNw9xJFnKMgjryoqmxQ6ZQgmI+8azBU NpfVPLOLbVObSKMiWXMntgZwqecd6Ph8ZpkhijJP0HI46zPg0e1njr3IGdMAjEWAlEWD m7gEO9XnbDbF6nsGl8U7jxGWwgE3vviYd5De8= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=date:from:to:cc:subject:message-id:references:mime-version :content-type:content-disposition:content-transfer-encoding :in-reply-to:user-agent; b=hvsp0+R73KqkHVt4GDqt2rrn/ufy7Pzb5kO61RGtF+k8g2WK0aH7VfvqdxuDBBRwX1 +3q1WncEsLSMmB4gR+FAYEVKXddVP+Tzm1ZBDWgnx0bNIWzFzoQ2clEUK70tebc1Zg4b gNhB/Um+Wap8mLqs3oQ6+E1258ptnfJ8pJAfc= Received: by 10.147.158.16 with SMTP id k16mr3231148yao.22.1301271118797; Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:11:58 -0700 (PDT) Received: from elie (adsl-68-255-101-206.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net [68.255.101.206]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id x69sm1649211yhn.41.2011.03.27.17.11.56 (version=SSLv3 cipher=OTHER); Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:11:57 -0700 (PDT) Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Archived-At: Hi, Alexandru Sutii wrote: > I am interested in two projects from your list: > - Build a minimal Git client based on libgit2 > - Port Git to Android > My questions are: > - How important are these projects for the community? > - Should I provide a patch in order to prove that I am suited for one= of these > projects? > =C2=A0 If so, what specifically should I implement? Thanks for writing. The "minimal Git client" task seems like a popular one. Luckily that is not a fatal problem --- git has many subcommands, so even if every proposal is about that, it could be possible to subdivide the work and produce something interesting. Some reading matter: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/99608/focus=3D9= 9682 http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/169498/focus=3D= 169517 http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/169498/focus=3D= 169762 http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/170032/focus=3D= 170076 Is there some particular part of git functionality you would like to focus on (history creation, history mining, object store maintenance, configuration, transport)? The list of low-level commands (plumbing) in the git manual might be a good place to get an idea of the scope. The ideas page mentions areas in which libgit2 functionality is incomplete --- depending on your interest, you might want to focus on one of these (so the project would be to add functionality to libgit2 as well as using it) or to steer clear of them (to focus on functionality libgit2 already has). So, to make a long story short: there is something sneaky about us presenting this idea, since there is so much room for choice. As your project becomes more precise it should be possible for people on the list to give more detailed advice. Cc-ing the libgit2 list and Jeff King for more hints. As for porting git to Android: that idea is less concrete to me. A native Android app would presumably be in Java, so most likely your best bet is to talk to someone involved in the JGit project[1]. Another note. Please feel free to venture beyond projects listed on the ideas page. For example the 2010 ideas page contains some gems: https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SoC2010Ideas#Several_small_proje= cts_improving_msysGit as does the 2008 page if you can get Nicolas Pitre on board :) https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SoC2008Ideas#Implement_pack_v4.2= =46v5_for_higher_compression Really, if you name any git-related topic you're interested in, chances are we can come up together with something valuable and interesting to work on in that area. Lastly, as far as patches go: yes, it would be excellent (and it would show initiative) to offer an experience of what it is like to work with you (if you end up finding time for this). Git may misbehave; or while getting up to speed on some aspect of its behavior you may find some documentation confusing; or you may wonder, "why is this code doing such a slow/unreliable/otherwise insane thing?" When the moment comes, look straight to Documentation/SubmittingPatches and it will tell what to do. :) Good luck with whatever project you decide, Jonathan [1] http://wiki.eclipse.org/Google_Summer_of_Code_2011_Ideas#Ideas_subm= ission http://eclipse.org/jgit/developers/