Re: [python-control-discuss] Fwd: SourceForge Repo Clone Complete

[Andrew S. <str...@as...>]

On 09/05/2012 08:10 AM, Richard Murray wrote:
> There hasn't been much conversation about this, but converting to git is probably the way to go in the long run (better functionality for distributed development).  Sourceforge supports git and we can easily transfer projects from subversion to git:
>
>    https://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sourceforge/ticket/24534
>
> I don't have much experience with github versus sourceforge in terms of the various features, and so don't have a strong preference beyond doing whatever works best for the people who are actively developing code for the library.

As an example, when matplotlib switched from the code repository using 
svn + sourceforce to git + github, there was a dramatic increase in 
contributions. MPL continues to use sourceforge for the email lists. The 
issue tracking was later switched to github, despite some missing 
functionality, in order to have integration with the version control 
system (having "closed issue" messages linked to the commit that closed 
them). All that said, these data are from some time ago (2 years, 
approximately) -- since that time, sourceforge seems to have made some 
dramatic changes (adding git, revising their issue tracking system) and 
I cannot fairly compare sourceforge's current offerings. See 
https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib for the MPL github respository. 
So, my evidence is that your criterion of "whatever works best for the 
people who are actively developing code for the library" will be best 
served by moving to github because you'll gain new contributors. This 
was more-or-less the discussion we had in the matplotlib email list and, 
although I haven't quantified it, the evidence of new contributors is 
very clear.

You'll also gain resonance with similar minds using similar tools and 
also possibly interested in python-control, thus increasing the likely 
number of high-quality contributions. Here are some projects that all 
use github as their primary repository as far as I know:

* numpy https://github.com/numpy/numpy
* IPython https://github.com/ipython/ipython
* sympy https://github.com/sympy/sympy
* scipy https://github.com/scipy/scipy
* ROS https://github.com/ros

As far as how to switch to github, I guess the easiest way, if SF offers 
a "convert this repository to git" button, is to press that button and 
then clone the SF repository to your local computer, create a github 
repository and then push your local repository onto github. (Then maybe 
delete the SF one or at least block writing to it.)

-Andrew