Re: [GNU-linux-libre] The "Free" Kernel In Debian Squeeze

[Alexandre Oliva]

On Jan 14, 2011, Richard Stallman <address@hidden> wrote:

>     For better interoperability, so that it's not harder for us to use third
>     parties' branches, and so that we don't run into difficulties when
>     interoperating (say contributing patches) to third parties who don't use
>     our branch.

> The need to run a special command to interconvert is not a difficulty,
> just an inconvenience.

I agree.  It's an inconvenience that we freedom lovers might be willing
to accept, but when we interoperate with others who don't share our
values, they will likely object and refuse to cooperate with us.

> Meanwhile, it occurs to me that once we have converted the repository,
> plain rebase will work to interconvert all changes that don't alter
> blobs.

A single rebase command won't do, for it makes local changes “in the
wrong direction”.  I mean, what it does is collect whatever changes you
made in a local branch, reset the local branch to the top of upstream,
then reapply on the local branch the changes as if they had been made on
top of upstream.  We want the changes from upstream that aren't (in
rewritten form) in the local branch to be applied to our local branch,
without resetting it, so the commands take a more convoluted form that
takes 3 or 4 commands, as discussed upthread.

Still, that's no big deal for us.  But if we want to be able to push
patches we write without publishing a blob-ridden branch, we're going to
have to make it easy for third parties who are not willing to tolerate
any inconvenience for the sake of freedom.

-- 
Alexandre Oliva, freedom fighter    http://FSFLA.org/~lxoliva/
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Gandhi
Be Free! -- http://FSFLA.org/   FSF Latin America board member
Free Software Evangelist      Red Hat Brazil Compiler Engineer