Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2023
- Messages
- 225
- Thread Author
- #1
Perhaps Firefox developers will finally have time to rest.
Mozilla is moving the main Firefox repository from Mercurial to GitHub, a service that, although owned by Microsoft, provides extensive features for managing code versions. The solution should simplify the workflow and reduce the burden on developers who have been using two systems simultaneously for several years.
Mozilla Senior Manager, Byron Jones, emphasizes: "For a long time, the infrastructure of the desktop version of Firefox was adapted to work with both Mercurial and Git. This approach, which involves the use of two systems at once, significantly hampered the work of our teams, which already lacked resources. In this regard, we made a strategic decision to refocus Firefox development exclusively on Git."
Mercurial, a major player in open source version control systems, was developed in 2005 as a replacement for BitKeeper for the Linux kernel. Later, Linux also switched to Git, but Mercurial remains popular in many other projects.
Mozilla uses specialized tools to develop its browser: Bugzilla for bug tracking, Phabricator for code review, and Lando for automating development environment settings.
The transition to GitHub will be a two-step process: first, Git will become the primary system while maintaining synchronization with Mercurial, and then the entire infrastructure will be transferred to Git.
The open-source community reacted skeptically to the innovations. Unlike Git and Mercurial, GitHub is not an open platform. This is a commercial product, using which the company risks losing its independence in development.
However, don't forget that Mozilla is already somewhat dependent on Google, its key financial partner. And supporters of the transition note the reliability and popularity of GitHub among developers, which can help attract new participants to the Firefox project.
Mozilla is faced with a difficult choice between adhering to the ideals of open source software and practical considerations for effective operation. Moving the main repository is a significant and possibly risky decision, but only time will tell what the results will be.
Mozilla is moving the main Firefox repository from Mercurial to GitHub, a service that, although owned by Microsoft, provides extensive features for managing code versions. The solution should simplify the workflow and reduce the burden on developers who have been using two systems simultaneously for several years.
Mozilla Senior Manager, Byron Jones, emphasizes: "For a long time, the infrastructure of the desktop version of Firefox was adapted to work with both Mercurial and Git. This approach, which involves the use of two systems at once, significantly hampered the work of our teams, which already lacked resources. In this regard, we made a strategic decision to refocus Firefox development exclusively on Git."
Mercurial, a major player in open source version control systems, was developed in 2005 as a replacement for BitKeeper for the Linux kernel. Later, Linux also switched to Git, but Mercurial remains popular in many other projects.
Mozilla uses specialized tools to develop its browser: Bugzilla for bug tracking, Phabricator for code review, and Lando for automating development environment settings.
The transition to GitHub will be a two-step process: first, Git will become the primary system while maintaining synchronization with Mercurial, and then the entire infrastructure will be transferred to Git.
The open-source community reacted skeptically to the innovations. Unlike Git and Mercurial, GitHub is not an open platform. This is a commercial product, using which the company risks losing its independence in development.
However, don't forget that Mozilla is already somewhat dependent on Google, its key financial partner. And supporters of the transition note the reliability and popularity of GitHub among developers, which can help attract new participants to the Firefox project.
Mozilla is faced with a difficult choice between adhering to the ideals of open source software and practical considerations for effective operation. Moving the main repository is a significant and possibly risky decision, but only time will tell what the results will be.