Artifact b5ddee628e02fff307202d7c46849b2b136855bd

File www/index.wiki part of check-in [2e275c1420] - First draft of the "branching" document. by drh on 2009-01-23 21:24:00.

Fossil: Distributed Revision Control, Wiki, and Bug-Tracking

Fossil is a distributed software version control system that includes an integrated distributed wiki and an integrated distributed bug-tracking system all in a single, easy-to-use, stand-alone executable. Fossil is self-hosting since 2007-07-21 on two separate servers. You can download the latest sources and compile it yourself. Or you can grab pre-compiled binaries.

Feature Summary:

• Flexible workflow:
  • Disconnected, distributed development like git, monotone, mercurial, and bitkeeper
  • Or, client/server operation like CVS and subversion,
  • Or, operations on local repositories,
  • Or, all of the above at the same time
• Integrated, distributed bug tracking and distributed wiki.
• Built-in web interface that supports deep archaeological digs through the project history.
• All network communication via HTTP with proxy support so that everything works from behind restrictive firewalls.
• Everything (client, server, and utilities) is included in a single self-contained executable - trivial to install
• Server runs as CGI, using inetd/xinetd or using its own built-in, stand alone web server.
• An entire project contained in single disk file (an SQLite database.)
• Uses an enduring file format that is designed to be readable, searchable, and extensible by people not yet born.
• Automatic self-check on repository changes makes it exceedingly unlikely that data will ever be lost because of a software bug.
• Ridiculously easy to install and operate.

User Links:

• The concepts behind fossil
• Building And Installing
• Quick Start guide to using fossil
• Fossil supports embedded documentation that is versioned along with project source code.
• A tutorial on branching, what it means and how to do it using fossil.
• The automatic self-check mechanism helps insure project integrity.
• Fossil contains a built-in wiki.
• There is a mailing list available for discussing fossil issues.
• Questions & Criticisms directed at fossil.
• Some (unfinished but expanding) extended reference documentation for the fossil command line.

Developer Links:

• Principles Of Operation
• The file format used by every content file stored in the repository.
• The format of deltas used to efficiently store changes between file revisions.
• The encoder algorithm used to efficiently generate deltas.
• The synchronization protocol.

Competing Projects:

• DITrace - A Distributed Issue Tracker
• DisTract - Another distributed issue tracker based on monotone.
• Monotone - distributed SCM in a single-file executable with a single-file SQLite database repository.