Version Control Blog

Launchpad.net is the system for collaboration, project management and code hosting for free software. It provides source repository hosting, bug tracker, a place to discuss project goals and features (called “blueprints”), translation management service, and the knowledge base. I won’t delve into details, but what caught my attention is that launchpad.net allows to make a read-only mirrors for Bazaar, Subversion and CVS repositories, and track code progress by subscribing to commits on any branch of that repository. Andy Wingo says:

Launchpad offers a web-based repository browser, including changesets, and offers the ability to subscribe to any branch it knows about. You get emails on distributed commits. This is a beautiful thing! Anyone who has worked with distributed VCS’s has probably had the feeling that they are seeing development through a keyhole, that there’s a whole world out there that’s not easily visible or comprehensible. Launchpad offers the possibility of tying together the various development branches out there in the wild in one place, effectively removing the last advantage of centralized version control.

Go to Launchpad.net. (via wingolog.org: “Launchpad”)

Jonathan Snook posts a nice list of Subversion hosting services, including CVSDude, Wush.net, Hosted-project.com, CollabNet, DreamHost, Google, Gna, DejaVu, VersionShelf, ProjectLocker, and Springloops. I can add that TextDrive offers Subversion repositories with their (excellent) Ruby on Rails hosting plans. This is not a product placement. Read at: Jonathan Snook: “Hosted Subversion”

According to joint press-release, “CollabNet, Inc. the leading provider of collaborative software development solutions, and VA Software Corporation (Nasdaq: LNUX), today announced the execution and closing of an asset purchase transaction whereby CollabNet purchased the SourceForge Enterprise Edition business from VA Software in consideration for an equity ownership stake in CollabNet.” SourceForge Enterprise Edition supports CVS, Subversion and Perforce out of the box, and also provides possibility for integration with other SCM tools. Read more at Press Release: “CollabNet® and VA Software Sign Asset Purchase Agreement for Acquisition of SourceForge® Enterprise Edition Business by CollabNet” (via LWN.net)

Codeplex is Microsoft’s open source project hosting web site. It is basically a hosted version of Team Foundation Server which allows project collaboration, providing source control and work item tracking. Full version of Team Foundation Server supports a lot more functionality, such as project communication, product builds, tools integration etc. Team Foundation system is explained in the following documents:

• Visual Studio Team System: Team Foundation, including:
• Team Foundation Overview;
• Team Foundation Source Control, including:
• Team Foundation Source Control Walkthroughs.

Press coverage:

• PR Newswire: Microsoft Launches CodePlex, a New Collaborative Development Portal
• CRN: Microsoft Invites More Projects Into Shared-Source CodePlex
• TheServerside.Net:A Microsoft Way of Sharing

I see a lot of projects hosted on Codeplex, but unfortunately I’m not that knowledgeable in modern Microsoft developement landscape, so I have to ask: which especially higher-profile projects are there? What is the general consensus amongst .Net crowd about the Codeplex, and the Team Foundation particularly?