[RFC] Enforcing a "linear" repository by first parent?

[Greg Ward]

On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 9:33 AM, Andrew Lutomirski <luto at myrealbox.com> wrote:
> I have a repository that I'd like to keep "linear."  This is the
> "mainline development" repository for a project -- we have a bunch of
> other clones that we do branchy development in -- and I'd like to be
> able to easily review some sort of linear history of mainline
> development.  We do this now with a simple informal policy:
[...]
> So, three questions:
>
> 1. Is this the Right Way (tm) to do this?

Probably not.  If you want Subversion, you know where to find it.  ;-)

Less smart-alecky response: embrace the brave new world.  Branches and
merges happen all the time, so why not let your history reflect that?
Use rebase if you don't want so many silly little merge changesets.

Disclaimer: it sounds nice on paper, but I haven't fully embraced the
brave new world myself yet.  I mean, yeah, sure, I've used hg and git
to prepare and submit patches to a couple of projects, and I use hg
for my own piddling little spare-time projects, but we haven't taken
the plunge at work.  Yet.  ;-)

Greg