Microsoft Announces Git Virtual File-System (GVFS)

[torsionbar28]

blah blah blah, your tired attacks are tired. get some new ones that reflect the current state of the company, not what it was 10 years ago

^ all hype and no facts. Some things never change, sigh. Redmond's software tyranny is a perfect example. Vendor lock-in never goes out of fashion for Microsoft.

[Otus]

not so, you don't *need* to have every single revision ever, and I can definitely understand the need for it.

You can clone single revisions with just git itself. This allows you to clone less than that, getting only the files you need.

Can't really see the point for normal projects however... Typically you need the vast majority of the files in the repo to do anything useful like build it or run the tests. Maybe with the linux kernel it would allow you to avoid other architectures but meh.

[efikkan]

Well, at least they've realized that git is great…

[VanCoding]

What would be the advantage compared to this?

git clone --depth 1 path/to/repo.git

I'm wondering the same thing.

To my knowledge, there are 2 kinds of size issues:
1) The history is too big. In that case, why not just clone with --depth 1 as you mentioned?
2) When checked out, it takes up too much space. In that case, there are 2 sub-cases:
a) you need all of the checked-out files to build the project. In that case, there's no solution. MS' solution also doesn't help here.
b) you only need a few of the checked out files to build the project. In that case, split the project into smaller projects, and only clone the ones you need.

[GraysonPeddie]

The name might get a bit confusing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GVfs

That's what I'm thinking as well. I don't think Microsoft has heard of GNOME Virtual File System.

[pabloski]

b) you only need a few of the checked out files to build the project. In that case, split the project into smaller projects, and only clone the ones you need.

Right, but I think this Git Virtual Filesystem thing is a patch for projects not organized for Git, like the 3.2mil files of Windows or FreeBSD https://lwn.net/Articles/712308/

[Spidey]

You all do realize that besides the faster clone, with this you actually have a FULL CLONE, different than --depth 1, which would require manual pulling of data from remotes for every action that needs extra files. GVFS automates this task, enabling us to have a --depth 1-like fast clone, without sacrificing the accessibility of a full repo.

[GreatEmerald]

Wait a minute... Did MS just admit that they use Git for the source code of Windows?
If so, Linus Torvalds has officially won.

[pal666]

not so, you don't *need* to have every single revision ever, and I can definitely understand the need for it.

you don't need to bisect ever?

[pal666]

"embrace and extend" aka. "embrace and extinguish".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish