Re: Embedded Linux development with GIT

["Alex Riesen" <raa.lkml@gmail.com>]

On 7/5/07, Sean Kelley <svk.sweng@gmail.com> wrote:
> 1) Clone kernel.org kernel and it is Master
> 2) Create a local Head based on 2.6.17 and call it Local
> 3) Pull my existing heavily patched repository into the Local branch and merge

Better:

  $ (cd $OLDREPO && git format-patch --stdout -k first..) | git am -k

or, if it is in the same repo, assuming it starts with sha1 "old-beginning"

  $ git format-patch --stdout -k old-beginning.. | git am -k

Merging of unrelated histories is slow (but works).

> Is it possible then to see our 400 odd commits then in the Local
> branch on top of 2.6.17 so that we can see not only our history but
> also the history that came before?  Then as Master advances we can see
> about backporting and bringing our code close enough to mainline
> kernel to actually be able to contribute back to the community and
> submit patches.  Is this realistic approach.

Yes. Look at how OLPC (www.laptop.org) does this with their kernel.

>  I am unsure of the GIT
> commands that I need to do this?

aside from the already mentioned git format-patch and git am:
git apply, git log, git show, gitk, and come to think of it - all of the
rest too, except maybe for importing programs.