Geek Gadgets Info Packet

OVERVIEW

This message is regarding the Geek Gadgets CVS repository. If you do not know what Geek Gadgets is, the following URL should help:

ftp://ftp.ninemoons.com/pub/geekgadgets/current/README

Additional info is available from the following URL for the AmigaOS version of Geek Gadgets, refered to as "Amiga Developers Environment":

http://www.ninemoons.com/ADE/ADE.html

If you are unfamiliar with CVS, the following URL should help:

ftp://ftp.ninemoons.com/pub/geekgadgets/README-cvs

I have made some changes in the Geek Gadgets CVS repository which will make it much easier to expand the group of volunteer Geek Gadgets maintainers, giving them more flexibility to add new packages to Geek Gadgets, update existing package to newer releases, fix bugs, and do new platform specific development work.

Currently the entire world has anonymous read-only access to the master repository on cvs.ninemoons.com, but only a handful of people have write access. This negates some of the effectiveness of using CVS and has resulted in much development work languishing in my Geek Gadgets staging area because I've not had the time to review it, test it, and check it in.

I would like to see more people become involved in Geek Gadgets development by becoming official maintainers for one or more existing packages (or adding new packages they are interested in) and giving them write permission so they can do their own CVS checkins for the packages they are responsible for.

NEW STABILITY BRANCHES

I have created two new branches in the Geek Gadgets CVS repository, one for m68k AmigaOS and one for PPC BeOS. Each of these are "stability" branches, from which releases will be made for their corresponding targets. The corresponding CVS branch tags are "m68k_amigaos_branch" and "ppc_beos_branch" and can be used to check out copies of each branch with the CVS "-r" option. The points at which the branches split from the main trunk of the CVS tree are tagged as "m68k_amigaos_branchpoint" and "ppc_beos_branchpoint" respectively so the branchpoints can always be found easily.

For doing AmigaOS builds, snapshots, and releases, I will use the m68k_amigaos branch on my Amiga and for doing the BeOS builds, snapshots, and releases I will use the ppc_beos branch on my BeOS system. Nobody but myself should check in any changes on these stability branches, although everyone is free of course to check them out and use them for their own local builds.

The idea is to make the GG CVS environment more open for maintainers of individual packages to update existing packages, check in development work that might cause short term instability but which is important to get into the repository, and to add new packages. The main trunk of the repository will become the "development branch" for people to do this work on, without worrying about whether they will be making de-stabilizing changes that affect the GG release process for any given target. Any changes people make in the main trunk of the CVS tree will only be migrated to the stability branches at carefully controlled times.

CODE MIGRATION TO BRANCHES

When I'm satisfied that I've hit a stable build point on a branch I will check in any changes made in the checked out source tree for that branch, tag that point on the branch with a tag like "m68k_amigaos_stable_19970917".

I can then use CVS to merge additional new code from the main CVS trunk to the branch, and start the build and test process again. This way I'm isolated from changes in the main trunk except at points when I choose to bring over and try out new updates, fixes, or development work. It should also be the case that at any given time, the head of the stability branch represents the latest stable build and test point.

When I make a patch on either stability branch, I'll be sure to check in a corresponding patch on the main trunk and if important to other stability branches, on those as well after testing. All major changes should happen on the main trunk and on the vendor branch.

I will use some additional tags on each stability branch and the main trunk to identify points at which the most recent merge was made. I.E. if I merge the latest gcc changes from the main trunk to the m68k_amigaos branch, then I will retag gcc on the main branch with "m68k_amigaos_export" and retag gcc on the m68k_amigaos branch with "m68k_amigaos_import" to identify the syncronization points.

When I go to do the next merge, I simply have to ask CVS to merge changes on the main trunk, from the last m68k_amigaos_export tag to a temporary tag at the current head of the trunk, into the branch I'm working on. This will also make it easy for people to find out which changes on the main trunk have not yet made it into any stability branch, and remind me if necessary to try them out at the next opportunity.

GG MAINTAINERS

People who would like to volunteer to become the GG maintainer for a given package or set of packages should send me email at fnf@ninemoons.com. If more than one person wants to act as maintainer, that is fine. CVS makes it very convenient for a small team of widely separated individuals to work effectively with a common source code base.

If you are doing a port of any freely distributable software from a POSIX type environment to either AmigaOS or BeOS, that software is suitable for inclusion in Geek Gadgets, and you have a reasonably good connection to the Internet, then there are a number of advantages to doing your development using the Geek Gadgets repository:

(1) If for some reason you have a problem you need help with, it is very simple for any interested party to check out a current copy of the same source you are working with, assuming you regularly commit your changes to the repository, and help you out.

(2) If you "run out of steam" and can't continue with the port, or just want to take a break for a while, it is very easy to "pass the torch" to another developer and let them continue from where you left off.

(3) If your house burns down you know that another copy of the source exists somewhere else. :-)

(4) When the port is complete enough, it can be incorporated into the normal Geek Gadgets build process. The build process results in the package being rebuilt on one or more systems other than your own, thus ensuring that it is possible for someone else to rebuilt it. It also helps to ensure that your port integrates cleanly with the ports of other packages when there are some mutual dependencies.

(5) When ready, it can be incorporated into the normal Geek Gadgets release process. The release process results in regular snapshots and releases being made available to the developer and user community, though of course you are free to do your own releases as you see fit.

(6) Everyone has a common focus for at least one place to find source and binary copies of common packages when a port for their platform already exists, rather than having to scurry around on the Internet collecting bits and pieces from multiple locations, where those bits and pieces may not play well together.

-Fred

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