best practices for multiple packages and submodules on git.d.o

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

[ Forgive me if $VCS-specific discussions, for some value of $VCS, are
  OT here. If this is the case please point me to the appropriate place,
  if any. ]

We are considering [1] migrating the Subversion repository of
pkg-ocaml-maint.alioth.debian.org to Git. In the repository we are
maintaining a lot of different source packages (about 130 in a current
fresh checkout) plus some house-made software project of which we are
upstream, and also some tools we are using for the overall maintenance
of OCaml-related stuff.

Of course we don't want to use a single git repository for all this, as
this would force users of the repo to checkout everything. But we do
want to retain the ability of doing that (I personally do that from time
to time to batchly perform repository-wide changes).

Even though I've never used that particular feature of git, it occurred
to me that the proper git solution for this are submodules [2].

My question for the list is: do we have already in Debian best practices
for maintaining large package repositories with git, from which I can
learn how well the submodule idea works in practice? Also, maybe more of
a question for alioth.d.o admins, do submodules works well with our
current git.d.o infrastructure? With "work well" I obviously include
requirements such as the ability to create/destroy submodules without
needing interventions of the git.d.o admins. Practical experiences on
how annoying are the current gotchas of submodules (see the manual)
would also be very much appreciated (either on-list or in private mail,
I don't care).

Many thanks in advance!
Cheers.

[1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-ocaml-maint/2008/03/msg00116.html
[2] http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/v1.5.4.3/user-manual.html#submodules

-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli -*- PhD in Computer Science ............... now what?
zack@{upsilon.cc,cs.unibo.it,debian.org}  -<%>-  http://upsilon.cc/zack/
(15:56:48)  Zack: e la demo dema ?    /\    All one has to do is hit the
(15:57:15)  Bac: no, la demo scema    \/    right keys at the right time
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