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diff --git a/_tils/2020-09-05-pull-requests-with-git-the-old-school-way.md b/_tils/2020-09-05-pull-requests-with-git-the-old-school-way.md deleted file mode 100644 index 5b4e445..0000000 --- a/_tils/2020-09-05-pull-requests-with-git-the-old-school-way.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,118 +0,0 @@ ---- - -title: Pull requests with Git, the old school way - -date: 2020-09-05 - -layout: post - -lang: en - -ref: pull-requests-with-git-the-old-school-way - -eu_categories: git - ---- -It might be news to you, as it was to me, that "pull requests" that you can -create on a Git hosting provider's web UI[^pr-webui] like -GitLab/Bitbucket/GitHub actually comes from Git itself: `git request-pull`. - -[^pr-webui]: And maybe even using the Git hosting provider's API from the - command line! - -At the very core, they accomplish the same thing: both the original and the web -UI ones are ways for you to request the project maintainers to pull in your -changes from your fork. It's like saying: "hi there, I did some changes on my -clone of the repository, what do you think about bringing those in?". - -The only difference is that you're working with only Git itself, so you're not -tied to any Git hosting provider: you can send pull requests across them -transparently! You could even use your own [cgit][cgit] installation. No need to -be locked in by any of them, putting the "D" back in "DVCS": it's a -**distributed** version control system. - -[cgit]: https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/ - -## `git request-pull` introduction - -Here's the raw output of a `git request-pull`: - -```shell -$ git request-pull HEAD public-origin -The following changes since commit 302c9f2f035c0360acd4e13142428c100a10d43f: - - db post: Add link to email exchange (2020-09-03 21:23:55 -0300) - -are available in the Git repository at: - - https://euandre.org/git/euandre.org/ - -for you to fetch changes up to 524c646cdac4153e54f2163e280176adbc4873fa: - - db post: better pinpoint sqlite unsuitability (2020-09-03 22:08:56 -0300) - ----------------------------------------------------------------- -EuAndreh (1): - db post: better pinpoint sqlite unsuitability - - _posts/2020-08-31-the-database-i-wish-i-had.md | 12 ++++++------ - 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) -``` - -That very first line is saying: "create me a pull request with only a single -commit, defined by `HEAD`, and use the URL defined by `public-origin`". - -Here's a pitfall: you may try using your `origin` remote at first where I put -`public-origin`, but that is many times pointing to something like -`git@example.com`, or `git.example.com:repo.git` (check that with -`git remote -v | grep origin`). On both cases those are addresses available for -interaction via SSH, and it would be better if your pull requests used an -address ready for public consumption. - -A simple solution for that is for you to add the `public-origin` alias as the -HTTPS alternative to the SSH version: - -```shell -$ git remote add public-origin https://example.com/user/repo -``` - -Every Git hosting provider exposes repositories via HTTPS. - -Experiment it yourself, and get acquainted with the CLI. - -## Delivering decentralized pull requests - -Now that you can create the content of a pull request, you can just -[deliver it][cli-email] to the interested parties email: - -```shell -# send a PR with your last commit to the author's email -git request-pull HEAD public-origin | mail author@example.com -s "PR: Add thing to repo" - -# send a PR with your last 5 commits to the project's mailing -# list, including the patch -git request-pull -p HEAD~5 public-origin | \ - mail list@example.com -s "PR: Add another thing to repo" - -# send every commit that is new in "other-branch" -git request-pull master public-origin other-branch | \ - mail list@example.com -s 'PR: All commits from my "other-brach"' -``` - -[cli-email]: {% link _tils/2020-09-04-send-emails-using-the-command-line-for-fun-and-profit.md %} - -## Conclusion - -In practice, I've never used or seen anyone use pull requests this way: -everybody is just [sending patches via email][decentralized-git]. - -If you stop to think about this model, the problem of "Git hosting providers -becoming too centralized" is a non-issue, and "Git federation" proposals are a -less attractive as they may sound initially. - -Using Git this way is not scary or so weird as the first impression may suggest. -It is actually how Git was designed to be used. - -Check `git help request-pull` for more info. - -[decentralized-git]: https://drewdevault.com/2018/07/23/Git-is-already-distributed.html |