[darcs-users] peer to peer darcs

S. Alexander Jacobson alex at alexjacobson.com
Thu Jul 29 23:27:17 UTC 2004


Can darcs be used without any centralized
repository at all (without requiring any
particular machine to be available 24x7)?

I would like to create a setup in which
the repository contains a distribution list file.
Every time anyone makes a patch, it gets
distributed to everyone on the list and everyone
runs a procmail script that automatically
applies incoming patches to their local
repositories when they arrive.

The problem, as I see it, is that each person may
receive patches in different orders.  I imagine a
scenario in which three people simultaneously
distribute patches containing conflicting
modifications of the same file.  Then each of them
gets 2 sets of replies reporting conflict from
two different subsets of the distribution list,
while a third subset will have accepted their
patch.  For each of the three patchers, the three
sets will be different!

Is there a way of resolving this problem, e.g. by
deterministically giving priority to the patches
of users higher up on the distribution list and
retroactively rejecting patches that incorrectly
assumed some prior patch was infact the winning
one?  Perhaps with some form of timeout?

-Alex-

PS Yes, another alternative is to use a listserv
to impose a total order, but I want to avoid any
centralized setup/infrastructure.

______________________________________________________________
S. Alexander Jacobson tel:917-770-6565 http://alexjacobson.com




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