[webkit-dev] Branch for Gtk/Gdk port

[Krzysztof Kowalczyk]

Speaking purely for myself, not the webkit team...

Fixing compilation issues due to refactoring changes is trivial. In
the past I can recall only one issue that required me to spend
non-trivial amount of time figuring out a fix for a change due to
refactoring. So a branch doesn't make a difference for that.

The problem is that at any given time there usually are just 0 or 1
people actively working on gdk port. If the number is 0, the port is
usually broken. If the number is 1 then port usually works. So the
solution is to have at least 1 person working on gdk port i.e.
attracting more people that make fixes and submit the patches. Given
that in recent times gdk port has been stable and that didn't attract
new contributions, I don't see how a branch will make a difference.

And finally, a branch that isolates from changes in trunk causes you
much more pain during merge and based on my past experience of doing
merges from hell after working on a branch, it's not at all clear to
me that this is a win. You trade a series of small, short pains for a
big, long pain.

-- kjk

On 2/23/07, Juan Antonio Suarez Romero <jasuarez at igalia.com> wrote:
> Hi all, webkiters ;-)
>
> In some posts I read some issues about the Gtk/Gdk port. In one, I read
> about the posibility of creating a branch for this port.
>
> What about this idea?.
>
> IMHO having a stable branch in which send the contributions about this
> port is very confortable.
>
> This branch should allow to work only in the gtk/gdk contributions,
> using a "stable" version of the repository. It's very unpleased that the
> port compiles one day, but not the next, due to contributions done to
> other ports.
>
> Also, this branch should allow more people can contribute to the port,
> as having a stable release makes easier the "study" of the system,
> without every day something changes.
>
> And finally, this branch should allow the building of a stable and
> functional WebKitGtk system. The integration with the trunk should be
> more quickly, adding the parts that are not implemented. In this way,
> the trunk should contain functional ports.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> webkit-dev mailing list
> webkit-dev at lists.webkit.org
> http://lists.webkit.org/mailman/listinfo/webkit-dev
>