0a43fb2202
The idea of Scalar (https://github.com/microsoft/scalar), and before that, of VFS for Git, has always been to prove that Git _can_ scale, and to upstream whatever strategies have been demonstrated to help. With this patch, we start the journey from that C# project to move what is left to Git's own `contrib/` directory, reimplementing it in pure C, with the intention to facilitate integrating the functionality into core Git all while maintaining backwards-compatibility for existing Scalar users (which will be much easier when both live in the same worktree). It has always been the plan to contribute all of the proven strategies back to core Git. For example, while the virtual filesystem provided by VFS for Git helped the team developing the Windows operating system to move onto Git, while trying to upstream it we realized that it cannot be done: getting the virtual filesystem to work (which we only managed to implement fully on Windows, but not on, say, macOS or Linux), and the required server-side support for the GVFS protocol, made this not quite feasible. The Scalar project learned from that and tackled the problem with different tactics: instead of pretending to Git that the working directory is fully populated, it _specifically_ teaches Git about partial clone (which is based on VFS for Git's cache server), about sparse checkout (which VFS for Git tried to do transparently, in the file system layer), and regularly runs maintenance tasks to keep the repository in a healthy state. With partial clone, sparse checkout and `git maintenance` having been upstreamed, there is little left that `scalar.exe` does which `git.exe` cannot do. One such thing is that `scalar clone <url>` will automatically set up a partial, sparse clone, and configure known-helpful settings from the start. So let's bring this convenience into Git's tree. The idea here is that you can (optionally) build Scalar via make -C contrib/scalar/ This will build the `scalar` executable and put it into the contrib/scalar/ subdirectory. The slightly awkward addition of the `contrib/scalar/*` bits to the top-level `Makefile` are actually really required: we want to link to `libgit.a`, which means that we will need to use the very same `CFLAGS` and `LDFLAGS` as the rest of Git. An early development version of this patch tried to replicate all the conditional code in `contrib/scalar/Makefile` (e.g. `NO_POLL`) just like `contrib/svn-fe/Makefile` used to do before it was retired. It turned out to be quite the whack-a-mole game: the SHA-1-related flags, the flags enabling/disabling `compat/poll/`, `compat/regex/`, `compat/win32mmap.c` & friends depending on the current platform... To put it mildly: it was a major mess. Instead, this patch makes minimal changes to the top-level `Makefile` so that the bits in `contrib/scalar/` can be compiled and linked, and adds a `contrib/scalar/Makefile` that uses the top-level `Makefile` in a most minimal way to do the actual compiling. Note: With this commit, we only establish the infrastructure, no Scalar functionality is implemented yet; We will do that incrementally over the next few commits. Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Git - fast, scalable, distributed revision control system
Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations and full access to internals.
Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.
Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
Many Git online resources are accessible from https://git-scm.com/ including full documentation and Git related tools.
See Documentation/gittutorial.txt to get started, then see
Documentation/giteveryday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-<commandname>.txt for documentation of each command.
If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be
read with man gittutorial or git help tutorial, and the
documentation of each command with man git-<commandname> or git help <commandname>.
CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.txt
(man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is
installed).
The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission). To subscribe to the list, send an email with just "subscribe git" in the body to majordomo@vger.kernel.org. The mailing list archives are available at https://lore.kernel.org/git/, http://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.
Issues which are security relevant should be disclosed privately to the Git Security mailing list git-security@googlegroups.com.
The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that list the current status of various development topics to the mailing list. The discussion following them give a good reference for project status, development direction and remaining tasks.
The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your mood):
- random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
- stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
- "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
- "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks