RE: [Axiom-developer] Re: typo in src/boot/Makefile.pamphlet

[Page, Bill]

On Tuesday, April 04, 2006 10:56 PM Gabriel Dos Reis wrote:
> ...
> Somehow I understood that the "wider" public will see only
> the two-month interval, while the developers could see
> immediate patches (I'm mostly initerested in the other
> changes that were suggested and applied, not in the "end"
> thingy). Since the developers have write access, I believe
> it would relieve the burden on you if they could check-in
> patches, after public review and we have procedure for that
> (we already have procedure for producing and testing patches).
> 

Ah, now wouldn't it be wonderful if we actually had a group
of Axiom developers who were willing and able to do what you
suggest! As far as I know, in two years I am the only one
besides Tim who has ever committed anything to the main
branch and I haven't done that in over a year... :(

I think we need a theory to explain why what you suggest has
not happened yet. Here are some possible explanations (in no
particular order):

1) the literate programming (pamphlet) format is more effort
   that most people are willing to commit to the project.

2) Tim's manual, re-check-everything-twice is intimidating
   to other developers -- nobody wants to commit their
   "mistakes" to the archive.

3) Setting up and using arch with sftp write access is too
   complex. It's easier to just let Tim do it.

4) There are not enough people who have sufficiently deep
   experience with the Axiom source code and those that do
   are already too busy doing other things.

5) The centralized source code repository model sucks. The
   current multiple-branch approach in the Axiom archive is
   not being used effectively. People are still unwilling to
   take responsibility for maintain a particular centrally
   accessible branch.

I think we need cures for some (or all) of these potential
problems before Axiom development can approach anything like
the development model for gcc.

Regards,
Bill Page.