• versioning internally resembles Git
• CLI mimics Subversion (¡¿why?!)
• branching is copying

We cannot take Debian Git trees:

• different workflows
• not always consistent
• dgit (producing consistent Git trees) is used by a minority
• some people may still use hg, bzr, svn, darcs and cvs or no VCS (they probably don’t, but they can)

• mostly git-buildpackage/DEP-14 style
  • but with some differences
• for select packages only:
  • packages where Apertis is the upstream
  • systemd, AppArmor, GLib…

• https://dep.debian.net/deps/dep14/
• Proposed by Raphaël Hertzog in 2014, revised in November 2016
• Builds on an existing git-buildpackage workflow, refining it for multiple upstream releases, Debian releases and derivatives
• Unfortunately, not used as much as it could be

• ships a SuSE version of bzip2
• ships bits of a different outdated bzip2
• ships a zlib-based gzip that is heavily based on NetBSD's gzip

• is a wonderfully magical piece of art
• which is best to stay away from
• because it often breaks
• because of how it is
• and xz makes it only worse

• store binaries as is
• no fighting with old or new compressors
• supported by GitLab
• protocol can be easily reimplemented if needed

• pristine-lfs was born
• written in Python instead of Perl
• uses the Go implementation of LFS underneath
• almost option-compatible with pristine-tar
• currently a working prototype

• We can now use git merge to get updates from Debian!
• CI automation attempts to merge debian/* to apertis/* and if it succeeds, submits a merge request
• git blame now gives sensible output, allowing to trace where the changes come from and for what purpose

• Packages are being imported as we speak
• There are still a few bugs in the tools
• Some packages need build dependencies to build source packages, but installing them is expensive
• GitLab needs a YAML file at a specific location in the repo
  • remote files can’t be used
  • Auto DevOps could be an alternative, but requires patching GitLab

• Move all Debian to Git? Not likely any time soon.
  • It’s actually now work in progress, thanks to Ian, Sean and others on the dgit team
• LFS instead of pristine-tar?
  • git-buildpackage integration doesn’t yet exist
  • The are wrapper scripts which will be integrated into pristine-lfs:
  • import-dsc to import all tarballs from a said .dsc
  • export-tar to export tarball(s) corresponding to the currently checked out package version

• Upstream currently lives here: https://salsa.debian.org/andrewsh/pristine-lfs
  • Debian packaging is under debian/: https://salsa.debian.org/debian/pristine-lfs
  • Need to bikeshed a name for the upstream maintenance group
• Currently in NEW
• We welcome contributions