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Linus Tries Out BitKeeper

Posted by timothy on from the shaking-up-the-betting-pool dept.

Flammon writes: "Linus has been overloaded with patches for a while and recently the issue started to become hot again. In an unprecedented move, Linus has started using BitKeeper, as reported by Linux Today. The benefits of BitKeeper are already showing from the large amount of detail provided in the latest unstable kernel pre-release." eirikref adds: "Read Linus' own statement and take a look at the BK web interface."

6 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. PPC Kernel by NewbieSpaz · · Score: 4, Informative

    IIRC, the PPC Kernel is maintained through BitKeeper, and has been for quite some time.

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    Random, useless fact: I type in startx entirely with my left hand.
    1. Re:PPC Kernel by NewbieSpaz · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here is some Info on it...

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      Random, useless fact: I type in startx entirely with my left hand.
  2. It's a floor wax and a dessert topping by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Bitkeeper is available under two licenses. The commercial license costs money and comes with support. The non-commercial license does not cost money., but it has a requirement that all your ChangeLogs must be sent to a world-readable server controlled by BitMover.

    Bitkeeper source is available, but it's illegal to redistribute a version of Bitkeeper with the mandatory open logging stripped out.

    Bitmover Inc. wants to avoid the situation where people use bitkeeper like gcc, taking free software tools but not giving anything back. You can pay Bitmover money, or you can use a free-as-in-beer version that is suitable for software libre and unsuitable for closed-source software.

  3. BitKeeper gives you the answer: by Otis_INF · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://bitkeeper.com/Products.Comparisons.Perforce .html

    Allthough this is marketing poop so it should be taken with a fine grain of salt, it might answer your question.

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    Never underestimate the relief of true separation of Religion and State.
  4. "A Critique of the BitKeeper License" by Jack Moff by CondeZer0 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I found very interesting a document from Jack Moffitt (of xiph.org fame,
    one of the main Ogg developers and one of the Icecast Core Developers),
    about some problems he had with the BK license when he was using it
    for hosting Icecast:

    "A Critique of the BitKeeper License"
    http://www.mit.edu/afs/athena/user/x/i/xiphmont/Pu blic/critique.html


    You might also find interesting his post on the matter to the
    "Icecast Developer Discussion List":

    http://www.xiph.org/archives/icecast-dev/0067.html

    I hope that he will post here his his experience using BK
    in an Open/Free-source project...

    Best regards

    \\Uriel



    P.S.: Yea, I know I'm karma whoring, but I'm sure many people will find this interesting,
    specially in casse Jack dont post to this history latter

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    "When in doubt, use brute force." Ken Thompson
  5. Re:But surely by Paul+Jakma · · Score: 4, Informative

    No,

    if you read the recent thread on l-k, it's because in private Linus has been talking for quite a while to the bitkeeper people about what he wanted from bitkeeper before he'd use it, and the bitkeeper people have gone and implemented most of it, so Linus agreed to use it for a while.

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    I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.