Re: [PATCH 7/7] Turn `git serve` into a test helper

[Jeff King <peff@peff.net>]

On Mon, Apr 15, 2019 at 11:03:02PM +0900, Junio C Hamano wrote:

> "Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
> writes:
> 
> > From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
> >
> > The `git serve` built-in was introduced in ed10cb952d31 (serve:
> > introduce git-serve, 2018-03-15) as a backend to serve Git protocol v2,
> > probably originally intended to be spawned by `git upload-pack`.
> >
> > However, in the version that the protocol v2 patches made it into core
> > Git, `git upload-pack` calls the `serve()` function directly instead of
> > spawning `git serve`; The only reason in life for `git serve` to survive
> > as a built-in command is to provide a way to test the protocol v2
> > functionality.
> >
> > Meaning that it does not even have to be a built-in that is installed
> > with end-user facing Git installations, but it can be a test helper
> > instead.
> >
> > Let's make it so.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
> 
> I've excluded this step from tonight's pushout, as I would want to
> hear from the people on the other side who have (once) thought that
> this was an addition we would want to have, before we remove/demote
> it.
> 
> I do not personally think, as the design of v2 stands, a standalone
> "serve" server that "can serve anything as long as it goes over
> protocol v2" makes much sense, but perhaps those who have been doing
> the v2 work may have different ideas, in which case let's hear what
> their plans are.

I too would like to hear more definite comments from people who think
git-serve is worth keeping. In the meantime, there's some discussion
from this thread in December:

  https://public-inbox.org/git/20181211104236.GA6899@sigill.intra.peff.net/

especially this sub-thread:

  https://public-inbox.org/git/20181213195305.249059-1-jonathantanmy@google.com/

(In case you do not feel like reading the whole thing, my opinion there
is that git-serve is probably not the right direction, and we would do
well to demote it as Dscho's patch does).

-Peff