[darcs-users] Re: DARCS_PUSH_HTTPS="curl -d @-" via internal libcurl?

[Jamie Webb]

On Mon, Nov 21, 2005 at 01:01:32AM +0100, Juliusz Chroboczek wrote:
> Darcs natively implements push over two transports: ssh and GPG-signed
> e-mail.  These are the transports used by all the Darcs developers and
> users I know, and nobody seems to feel the need for developing more.

Because most people don't use software if it doesn't meet their
needs...

There have actually been several people posting on the list with
problems that would be solved by POST support. At the time, there was
no solution and those people probably went elsewhere.

> If you insist on pushing over HTTP POST (which, sorry to insist again,
> is a bad idea)

Seems like a pretty good idea to me (HTTPS at least). It will make
Darcs much more viable outside the Unix world, and generally easier to
get working:

- SSH is only nice when you have your own Unix server, because every
  developer needs an account and the sysadmin needs to set up sudo,
  etc. That's not feasible for a lot of people. Plus there are the
  issues for Windows clients. In general the SSH thing is a big hurdle
  for people not already using it.

- GPG is likewise a non-trivial learning curve, and again not really
  practical without a Unix server running procmail.

Web servers are far more readily available than SSH servers (as well
as being easier to connect to), and many more people are familiar with
setting up passworded areas on them than know how to lock down an SSH
account. It's certainly much easier to set up and maintain large
numbers of Web users, especially if different users have different
permissions for different repos.

In many cases, TLS is probably quite unnecessary in which case any old
web space and a statically linked Darcs will work perfectly well.

You haven't actually explained what your objections are?

> then I know it can be done, but I don't remember
> exactly how; I suggest you check the list archives for ``darcshive'',
> which is a CGI that used to do exactly that.

Again it's rather complex and Unix-specific. It certainly doesn't work
'out of the box' for clients on any OS.

That the big issue as I see it. A lot of people are wanting to use
Darcs in a star topology, but it's too hard to set up unless you
already have a shared SSH server. Give Darcs HTTP POST support and
it'll become almost trivial.

-- Jamie Webb