Re: ANNOUNCE: Debian build scripts on a public Monotone server

[Georg Bauhaus <bauhaus@futureapps.de>]

On Tue, 2006-09-26 at 02:32 -0700, Ludovic Brenta wrote:


> Monotone needs synchronous communications only during "mtn sync" or its
> two halves, "mtn push" and "mtn pull",

Yes, I meant this kind of synchronous communication.

> I did mention that I required the ability to work off-line on the
> train, didn't I?

You did.

> > (The alternative could be privacy guarded patch emails.)
> 
> A very poor alternative, very work-intensive and error-prone, and
> without support for merging.

I wasn't clear enough about what I mean by "email changeset".
The same content that is needed by mtn sync
could be passed in a mailbox style, decoupling operations.
(Going from rendezvous to something else, in Ada terms.)
I wasn't thinking of sending a standard patch in some email,
I was thinking of using SMTP as a "Monotone sync packet wrapper".
Monotone merging wouldn't have to be changed I think, if you follow
the  "commit first" policy that Monotone recommends.

The GPG keys could be associated with the permission settings in
your Monotone configuration. Then if mtn receives an "email sync
message" the software knows what to do with it, just like when it
operates in "normal synchronous sync mode". 

Just an idea, to overcome some issues:

1/ For mtn sync between two people,
   you need both ends at the same time.
2/ For mtn sync between you and a server,
   you need both ends at the same time.
3/ For 2, you need a server that runs a Monotone server process.

If your ISP/company/... offers 3, that's perfect.


-- Georg