is using git a hard requirement for debian-science packages?

[Lionel Elie Mamane]

On Tue, Dec 07, 2010 at 09:38:25AM +0100, Joost van Baal wrote:

>>> Joost van Baal wrote:

>>>> I'd like to use the Debian Science Alioth project for maintenance
>>>> of some linguistics software:
>>>> Upstream expressed willingness to help with Debian packaging
>>>> work; a -guest account will be requested soonish.  Upstream would
>>>> very much prefer to use SVN, not git.  Would it be acceptable to
>>>> use SVN for new packages in debian-science?  (Policy seems to
>>>> indicate otherwise.)

> (...) there currently are packages in debian-science being
> maintained using SVN.  My upstream uses SVN daily, and never uses
> git.

> So: Should these four packages get imported in debian-science SVN?

If we already have SVN-maintained packages, there is not much harm (if
any) in adding to that.

There are two conflicting goals:

 - Each team member should use tools he is at ease with.

 - It shouldn't be too difficult for any given team member to act on
   any team package.

I consider the first goal more important, but not in a total way; we
have to keep the second goal in mind. The second goal requires that we
keep the number of different VCSs (and patch systems in debian/ and
...) to a minimum. So if we have git and SVN, that's still OK. git,
SVN, mercurial, darcs and bazaar is too much.

-- 
Lionel