[ClusterLabs Developers] Pacemaker 2.1.0: Should we rename the master branch?

Digimer lists at alteeve.ca
Fri Oct 2 14:02:29 EDT 2020


On 2020-10-02 1:12 p.m., Ken Gaillot wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I sent a message to the users at clusterlabs.org list about releasing
> Pacemaker 2.1.0 next year.
> 
> Coincidentally, there is a plan in the git and Github communities to
> change the default git branch from "master" to "main":
> 
>  https://github.com/github/renaming
> 
> The rationale for the change is not the specific meaning as used in
> branching, but rather to avoid any possibility of fostering an
> exclusionary environment, and to replace generic metaphors with
> something more obvious (especially to non-native English speakers).
> 
> The change would not affect existing repositories/projects. However I
> am wondering if we should take the opportunity of the minor-version
> bump to do the same for Pacemaker. The impact on developers would be a
> one-time process for each checkout/fork:
> 
>  https://wiki.clusterlabs.org/wiki/Pacemaker_2.1_Changes#Development_changes
> 
> In my opinion, this is a minor usage that many existing projects will
> not bother changing, but I do think that since all new projects will
> default to "main", sometime in the future any project still using
> "master" will appear outdated to young developers.
> 
> We could use "main" or something else. Some projects are switching to
> names like "release", "stable", or "next" depending on how they're
> actually using the branch ("next" would be appropriate in Pacemaker's
> case).
> 
> This will probably go on for years, so I am fine with either changing
> it with 2.1.0 (since it has bigger changes than usual, and we can get
> ahead of the curve) or waiting until the dust settles and future
> conventions are clearer.
> 
> Opinions?

I support this change whole heatedly. I'll leave it to others to decide
what new word is best (though 'main' makes sense to me), but the goal of
moving away from 'master/slave' is well worthwhile and appreciated.

-- 
Digimer
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"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of
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