[webkit-dev] Re: Ports and Forks

[Alp Toker]

Maciej Stachowiak wrote:
>> By setting up a associated repository this work would be accessible to
>> all interested parties and once stable it could be integrated into the
>> main repository.
> 
> This is an example of the kind of project that would be better done on a 
> branch than in a separate repository (if it were desirable at all).

I have to disagree here. git-svn is really the only tool in its class 
for working on branches of large svn projects. I haven't spent as much 
time as Mike hacking on the Gdk WebKit port, but the distributed and 
transparent form of git repositories does in my experience almost 
eliminate the pain of merging upstream changes, maintaining history and 
most importantly providing atomic patches that are suitable for 
inclusion back into the original repository.

The WebKit project would do well to formalise this pattern. It would 
benefit not only the ports, but also help reduce the barrier for 
bugfixes to find their way back into the project rather than getting 
left by the wayside in an svn branch or bug report.