[darcs-users] Darcsless SSH push (was: Darcs get without hard links)

[Max Battcher]

David Roundy wrote:
> One major downside of this approach is that it requires darcs on the other
> side.  It'd be nice to not require darcs for ssh pull, send and get.
> Indeed, if we move to support pristine-cacheless, working-directoryless
> repositories, it might even be nice to support (optionally) a push that
> doesn't require darcs on the other side... although getting locking right
> over sftp would be awfully tricky.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't you use something of the opposite 
of the recently discussed minimal context patches?  (Maximal Context 
Patches)  That is, the darcs-less, pristine-less, working-directory-less 
is basically just a "Patch Box", something like an index card box for 
potential patches.  I've been thinking about it for a while, but you 
could simplify the darcs send in asynchronous (context-less) situations 
by sending "maximal context patches".  In terms of asynchronous darcs 
send you can often just let people handle context problems at their 
convenience ("I know he just needs x, y, and z" or "Thanks for sending 
patch v, but it relies on u, which I don't have.").

For the Patch Box server you could do the same thing...  just copy a 
"maximal context patch" to the server.  Don't worry about an inventory 
update or anything.  Obviously, this isn't quite a "push", so you you 
might be better off making it a part of the "send" command (SSH send) or 
a new command.

Then you just have a slightly tougher problem of pulling patches from 
the patch box.  You can attempt to pull any missing patches from the 
Patch Box and should it be completely missing from the patch box you can 
just error out and let other communication channels take over ("The Box 
is missing patch xz" to an email list or similar).

You also spend a bit more time because your going to have to generate 
file names directly from the context entries.

You could add something of a "Patch Box" patch verifier to find missing 
patches.

Anyway, just some brain-storming.

-- 
--Max Battcher--
http://www.worldmaker.net/
"History bleeds for tomorrow / for us to realize and never more follow 
blind" --Machinae Supremacy, Deus Ex Machinae, Title Track