Ask YC: Google Code or Sourceforge

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=167814

by yourabi • 18 years ago

11 22 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm starting a new project (GPL apache module)... What do you prefer Google Code or SF.net... reasons?

main reason. It uses git. Another benefit of github is you can pay for accounts that are private, so if you wanted to host proprietary code. Or things that aren't so much proprietary as personally private (backups).

also google isn't supportive of AGPL, I like the AGPL so I can't support them on this one.

if you want subversion you should go with sourceforge.

I'm not sure which vcs system google uses. (on google code; they use perforce internally)

There is also Launchpad for bazaar (bzr) repositories

Honestly just pick the one one with the vcs you want to use.

EDIT: I've rewritten this like 3 times :P sorry. Should read right now.

xenoterracide6• 18 years ago

I'd also like to say... sorry for answering your question in a round about manner and perhaps not the answer you were looking for.

I myself am annoyed when I ask one question about A and people answer it with use B. I just want you to be aware of the alternatives.

daleharvey2• 18 years ago

google code is also subversion

aflag• 18 years ago

github seems nice. I'd also like to point out savannah (http://savannah.gnu.org/), which is particularly nice if you intend to use GPL. Also, it's good for leting you know how to properly handle your licenses when you apply for a project.

It uses cvs, svn and git.

daleharvey2• 18 years ago

sf.net has a lot of people migrating away because it can be extremely slow, the tracker interface isnt up to scratch, and its quite unreliable (they recently reset everyones password in the middle of an inkscape launch)

launchpad seems to be the best tracker around, but if you dont use bzr, or git, I would possibly just put your code on google code and use launchpad for everything else

yawl• 18 years ago

Agree, sf.net has too many projects on it and checkin/chekout speed is very slow sometimes. I have a project on Google Code and so far I am happy with it.

I also use github, so far has not seen problems. As ruby on rails moved to git, I believe lots of open source ruby projects may follow.

eccp2• 18 years ago

You're right, you can have your code in svn on Google Code, and setup the project on Launchpad, so the code is automagically imported into a Bzr branch.

I've got a Bzr branch (https://code.launchpad.net/~vcs-imports/gtkfilesplitter/trun...) imported from (http://gtkfilesplitter.googlecode.com/svn/)

xenoterracide6• 18 years ago

how is keeping both current working for you?

yourabi3• 18 years ago

Is that automatic, and is it easy to setup? Or do you have to create/import the branch manually?

yourabi3• 18 years ago

xenoterracide: no worries, it was a very helpful reply as I hadn't actually considered launchpad (I always thought of it as an Ubuntu specific project, but clearly I was wrong)

I'm already familiar with SVN, so the lazy me would want to go with that -- but I've been meaning to learn git for sometime, and github might be the way to go.

xenoterracide6• 18 years ago

I thought the basics of git were easy. But I haven't had to play with others yet.

http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/QuickStart

http://git.or.cz/course/svn.html (for svn users)

one thing I just noticed... github offers a wiki for your project but no bug tracker (that I'm aware of) :( I filed a bug with them on it.

and if launchpad offers git support it might be the way to go if you'll need a bug tracker soon. (if you won't I'm sure they'll fix that).

yourabi3• 18 years ago

I'm sure GitHub will add a bug tracking system, and in the meantime a simple Wiki is a workable solution for bug-tracking.

If it works for Wikia it can work for me too.

eccp2• 18 years ago

I used SF in the past (prior to their svn adoption) and it was slow, lots of forms to fill for a setup, and the process to deliver the downloads was cumbersome.

Google Code requires a free Google Account and a simple form. If you can live with svn, you'll find that its features are simple yet powerful (wiki, downloads page, svn browser, issues tracker). Another thing i like is that you can give admin/commit access to other Google accounts easily.

Launchpad is also a good alternative if your code is under a free license. You'll have the features of bzr, issues tracker and others, and if you're packing for Debian/Ubuntu, you can use Launchpad PPA to build your packages for 32 and 64 bit architectures for free.

jaaron• 18 years ago

Google code.

SF.net, while trying to make improvements, is hobbled with an old design. Google code is much better. And both use subversion.

Interesting choice to GPL an Apache module, though.

dazzawazza• 18 years ago

You can put your code wherever you like but please put your mailing list on Google Groups. Finding stuff in Google Groups is SO much easier then SF.

That may swing your decision.

ionel• 18 years ago

anything but sourceforge

kilowatt• 18 years ago

github seems pretty cool so far,

BUT I don't like that their webpage is kind of sluggish, or that they delegate issue tracking out to a pay service (lighthouse)

in a related note, committing/branching all the time locally and then just doing "git push origin" when I feel like pushing all those changes to github is AMAZING. it really changes the way you deal with rapidly changing code. I'm just learning git but the nerdhype seems strongly justified with this one :)

Ask YC: Google Code or Sourceforge

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