Re: Allow bootstrap from git repository

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Bob Friesenhahn wrote on Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 08:15:45PM CEST:
> If we need an increasing serial number, can't we obtain one from git?  
> Does git offer the ability to update an RCS-style string in a text file 
> each time it is modified?  If that is the case, then we would just need 
> to arrange to modify that file each time there is a commit to git.  Of 
> course since git uses distributed repositories, this might become tricky.
>
> We don't want to force someone to have to use git to do a 'make dist'  
> but since git is necessary in order to submit changes, it is reasonable 
> to make full use of it at that time.

Bob, of course it is possible to do with git.  All that is needed is
  git describe

and one prior signed tag.  This is what Autoconf does, for example.

I think Peter invested the time to do this in order to allow
bootstrapping without having git available.  If you're now OK with
needing git for bootstrapping, then we can go similar to Autoconf.

Cheers,
Ralf