No More BitKeeper Linux

An anonymous reader writes "KernelTrap has a lengthy article detailing BitMover's recent decision to drop support for its free version of BitKeeper. Linus Torvalds began using BitKeeper back in February of 2002, a decision that has resulted in frequent flamefests, but also in increased kernel development productivity. Evidently the recent decision was due to OSDL's decision to keep paying a developer who was working on reverse engineering BitKeeper... What tool Linus will move to is still being determined."

Comments

Bazaar-NG might step in?

[KhaZ]

I've become a recent fan of Martin Pool, and I've been keeping tabs on his work with Bazaar-NG, his next generation version of Bazaar, as a distributed free source code control system, for Ubuntu. It's early in development yet, but if there's one thing I've learned from Martin Pool, is he does great work! Keep tabs on him. :)

Re:Freedom matters

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Linus "picked" Bitkeeper because Larry harangued him in Linus' home, around the release time of 2.4>

Linus was dropping important patches - cos his versioning was done from a mail spool.

Larry was writing Bitkeeper and had been pushing this for a couple years. Finally Linus gave in - saying there was a problem - and agreed to use a vcs that didn't get in his way. Then Larry made his pitch...

Re:I cant wait

[Daniel Phillips]

The question is where to go now? My preference would be GNU Arch, as it's more decentralized.

Hi Bruce,

You want to keep an eye on Monotone. Recently, it has gone through a redesign specifically aimed at making it changeset-oriented, with a view to replacing BitKeeper. It has a ways to go, but the project is active and the work is professional. Arch and Subversion are both worthy and usable systems right now, and many projects are already working happily with one or the other.

Regards,

Daniel

Re:I cant wait

[Bruce Perens]

First, don't assume it was OSDL screwing over anyone. Larry changed the deal, repeatedly. It started out that we just had to use his "notification server", and then other odd terms came up at intervals like termination of the license for those who attempt to make other software compatible with Bitkeeper through reverse-engineering. OSDL refused to terminate an employee or consultant who was also reverse-engineering Bitmover as a hobby Open Source project outside of OSDL. Had they terminated that person, the hue and cry would have been greater.

There was never a chance that this relationship could work, because of the lack of an Open Source license and the mercurialism Larry regularly displayed.

Thanks

Bruce

What Linus Has to say on Linux-Kernel

[berck]

Actually, I think he did.

Here's what Linus had to say about it today.