Distributed Version Control

AKA DecentralizedVersionControl?.

A class of VersionControl systems where multiple users/machines can have mirrors of the repository. They can be used to implement local branches, offline operation and decentralized control of a project.

Examples:

• BazaarVersionControl
• BitKeeper
• CodeVille
• DARCS (DavidsAdvancedRevisionControlSystem)
• git (GitVersionControl)
• GnuArch
• MercurialVersionControl (http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/)
• MonoTone
• SVK (SvkVersionControl)

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Anyone have any experience to compare DistributedVersionControlVsClearcase? The web is painfully silent on this question.... -- BillTrost

IBM's ClearCase is a rather specific revision control system, and DistributedVersionControl is a rather broad abstraction. They don't seem like things that would ever be compared directly. On review of the ClearCase entry on the Wikipedia, it seems that ClearCase essentially provides a multi-user virtual filesystem (at $4250 per concurrent user, no less) with the basic checkout+locking approach to avoiding edit conflicts. It supports views and a number of other things... but, ultimately, one would be more tempted to compare it to other centralized-repository models such as ConcurrentVersionsSystem and SubVersion. DistributedVersionControl is, by nature, merge-based - each and every user has a what is, essentially a full-blown repository that completely tracks its own versions without implicitly contacting any other 'official' source (making 'official' a political designation, not a technical one.) DistributedVersionControl systems must, and do, provide considerable support for merging repositories and editing conflicts.

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Apparently, my question wasn't particularly clear (but thanks for the response, whoever you are). I'm quite comfortable with both Mercurial and darcs, and have more CVS experience than I can stand, so I can compare the two intelligently. However, any attempt to understand what ClearCase does for you results in people blathering about how "powerful" it is. What's powerful? What can I do easily in ClearCase that I can't in Mercurial, and vice-versa?

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DistributedVersionControl should merit DistributedBugTrackingSoftware?. There are a few (BugsEverywhere? and Ditz immediately come to mind) but none are, IMHO, mature enough yet. Does anyone have any suggestions?

FIXMEs in the source code ;)

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CategoryConfigurationManagement