bzr 2.3b2: since you asked....

[Philippe Lhoste]

On 26/10/2010 07:38, der Mouse wrote:
> - Your choice of language counts heavily avainst you.  Having to
>    bludgeon a large (ca. 60 megs) new language package into building is
>    a substantial barrier

I have some sympathy for this argument, as a Windows user liking small programs...
I am always reluctant to bring a large package to run a simple (or not so simple) 
application, be it Python, [J]Ruby (when I tried Buildr), Air or Silverlight (to use 
nearly any Tweeter desktop client) or even worse the whole .NET stack (on an old Windows 
XP machine, it is veeery big and veeeery slow).
But, well, I also feel some sympathy for the developers who have the right to use their 
favorite language... So if the application is really compelling, I suppose we have to bite 
the bullet.
Having to bite the bullet for a non-compelling reason (because you have to do it) is 
probably more annoying.

BTW, aren't you supposed to have Python installed out of the box on an Unix machine?

Note that some other VCS in native code (Git, SVN...) aren't small either. Git, in 
particular, feels the need to bring an Unix environment with it...

> especially when it's one which has drunk the
>    ./configure koolaid (see

At least, we have no configure on Windows. But I would appreciate a non-install archive, 
as I don't use TortoiseBzr, so there isn't much to "install", beside a shortcut to 
BzrExplorer.

> - Your hiding your download behind https: for no visible reason counts
>    against you.  Your doing so when the actual download itself is http:
>    loses you more points.

Some downloads are plain http, others go through https indeed. Not sure of the rationale 
here, except perhaps to ensure security.

> - Your apparent belief that it is suitable to provide only a Web
>    interface for bug reporting counts against you.

What are the alternatives? E-mail? Might be nice indeed. At least there is this mailing 
list which is nice and patient.

> - Your choice of license counts against you.  I find the GPL rather
>    deeply hypocritical

I dislike GPL as well, but I can understand its usage, particularly for end-user 
applications (it is more frustrating on libraries...). Actually, I don't mind to use a GPL 
tool, as the license has little impact on my usage anyway.

I deduce you don't use Linux, are you?

If you exclude GPL software written in interpreted languages (or languages with VM and 
large libraries) from your daily usage, I fear you miss lot of good tools, but well, if 
you find good alternatives, that's perfect.

-- 
Philippe Lhoste
--  (near) Paris -- France
--  http://Phi.Lho.free.fr
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