[linuxtools-dev] Proposal: Update to Git branching policy

[Severin Gehwolf <sgehwolf@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I'd like to propose an update to the Git branching policy of Linux
Tools[1]. The idea is to make it easier for developers to use the main
repository to share code (i.e. have remote feature branches) and to make
it more apparent which branches are maintenance branches of released
versions. I propose the following three simple additions:

     1. Branch "master" remains the main development tree.
     2. Name-space maintenance branches with prefix "released/"
     3. Name-space shared feature branches with prefix "features/"

For example the current "rdt" branch would move to "features/rdt" and
the current "stable-0.x" branches would move to "released/0.x" (or
"released/stable-0.x").

Once features are stable enough to be brought into the main development
tree the steps would be as follows:
     1. Merge "features/my-cool-feature" into "master"
     2. Push master which now includes your new feature developed
        separately.
     3. Remove the corresponding feature branch. I.e. remove
        "features/my-cool-feature"

The benefits of this would be to encourage collaboration on experimental
features and make their development more visible to the public.
Moreover, pushes to feature branches do not break builds. I.e. policies
to push to remote feature branches could be less restrictive.

What do you think?

Thanks,
Severin

[1] http://wiki.eclipse.org/Linux_Tools_Project/Git#Branches