Re: [PATCH 3/3] Teach "git branch" about --new-workdir

[Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>]

Hi,

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007, Marius Storm-Olsen wrote:

> Andy Parkins said the following on 25.07.2007 13:05:
> > On Wednesday 2007 July 25, Johannes Schindelin wrote:
> > 
> > > So this leaves me with the question: do Windows users really want
> > > a proper native Windows support for Git?  If the answer is yes,
> > > why don't they _do_ (as in "not talk") something about it?
> > 
> > I don't disagree with you at all - it is completely ridiculous for
> > Windows users to moan about lack of Windows support without
> > contributing any help. However, I think there is a good reason.
> > 
> > I think it's a chicken and egg problem.  The only reason I started
> > making (small) contributions to git was because I was using it
> > already.  I didn't set out with the goal "to improve git"; I set
> > out looking for a DVCS. Luckily for me, I use Linux so git worked
> > pretty well for me straight away.
> > 
> > The same is not true for Windows users.  Even if we ignore the fact
> > that Windows users are notoriously less open-source savvy; it's
> > unlikely that we'll get any Windows contributions until there are
> > some threshold number of developers using git on Windows.
> > 
> > Open-source is all about scratching an itch, I can't see how
> > Windows developers can get a gitch to scratch without being users
> > of git first.  On the positive side though, there surely must come
> > a point when the Windows port is "good enough" that it will start
> > to gather users and hence developers.  Until then, I suppose it's
> > just a matter of shouting "patch" every time a windows user asks
> > for a feature :-)
> 
> Hi Andy,
> 
> Your mail is refreshingly spot on. I agree fully with what you say.
> I will try to do my part to get Git to this 'threshold', so we can get a
> proper Windows community behind it too. (It's just a matter of time and
> resources, which I hope we clear up soon)
> My first roadmap item will be to get a fully native compile of the built-in
> code. If we at least have a Git built with native tools, I think we'll have a
> lot more people wanting(/able?) to contribute.

Well, why don't people come here then, say "I am willing to test whatever 
you throw at me, and contribute the installer"?  Huh?

I once (AGAIN!) extend this offer to _anybody_.  I'll make a zip of 
everything you need, I'll fix bugs as you report them,  I'll do plenty of 
stuff.

But you have to give me an INCENTIVE!

(I am usually not such a shouter, but underlining seems not to help here.  
As can be seen by the infamous "When can I expect" mail.)

> AFAIK the MinGW port is cross-compiled on Linux, and can be hard to set 
> up on Windows. The required MinGW packages are scattered all over the 
> place. So, it's not impossible at the moment, but I guess most Windows 
> users feel a bit unmotivated to work on the code mostly since they'll 
> have to develop using Cygwin. (I don't know if that's the reason, just a 
> hunch)

No, not even close.  It is written in README.MinGW how to go about 
compiling yourself.  Only Han-Wen cross-compiled the beast on Linux.

> So, IMO its not that Windows users don't _want_ to contribute. I think 
> they feel they can't. Let's see if we can fix that.

I beg to differ here, strongly.  On the two first points at least.  On the 
third point, I am already disap-point-ed.

Ciao,
Dscho