Re: GNA is down...

[Derek Fawcus]

On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 08:18:54AM +0000, Richard Frith-Macdonald wrote:
> 
> So ... can I put in a wish list ...
> 
> 1. A properly distributed system ... one where we have a loose cluster of 
> main servers which automatically keep in sync, rather than having a single 
> central hub (single point of failure).
> 
> 2. I'd like to see a system which would generate ChangeLog files for us so we 
> don't have to write them by hand as well as adding commit comments. 
>  
> 3. I'd like RCS and email feeds of changes from the central systems, so we 
> are notified of commits and can review them easily  (e.g. click on a link to 
> see the commit log and diffs)
> 
> 4. I'd like a good web-gui usable both on central systems and on the local 
> database
> 
> The combination of (1) and (3) is quite tricky ... I don't know how well any 
> of the systems actually support it.

I'd actually say that (3) sort of enables (1).

Most VCS that I know of have the ability to add pre/post action hook scripts.

So one has to set up a hook for updates to the 'central' respository such that 
it sends out
notifications.  One could then have that notification received by one of the 
central servers
cause it to pull updates from the designated 'central' server.

Or are you after something even more automatic?  Some sort of netnews-like 
flood filling?

I'd suggest that this is sort of the best that should be necessary,  as in a 
proper
DVCS,  every user has a complete copy of the history.  So if the central system 
goes
down,  one can easily designate a new central system and co-ordinate via it.

Look at what happened with Linux when kernel.org was hacked and went down.

As for (2),  I'd suggest that a script could be made that generates the 
correctly
formatted ChangeLog,  and that it could be run upon demand (i.e. the ChangeLog
not be version controlled as such).  Then when commands are given to generate a
distribution tar-file,  the script is triggered to create a new ChangeLog which
is then packaged up.  That way the VCS contains the defintive history,  and
the ChangeLogs are simply a deriviative.

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