Differences From:
File
www/index.wiki
part of check-in
[d6b8b5ba73]
- More FAQ updates. Add the document on "shunning".
by
drh on
2009-08-26 19:50:21.
[view]
To:
File
www/index.wiki
part of check-in
[522824b26a]
- Documentation updates, including a big rework of the homepage.
by
drh on
2009-08-28 16:05:03.
[view]
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
<ul>
<li> [./quickstart.wiki | Quick Start]
<li> [http://www.fossil-scm.org/download.html | Download]
<li> [./build.wiki | Install]
+<li> [../COPYRIGHT-GPL2.txt | License]
<li> [/timeline | Recent changes]
<li> [./faq.wiki | FAQ]
</ul>
<center><img src="fossil.gif"></center>
@@ -20,57 +21,81 @@
Simple, high-reliability, distributed software configuration management
</i></font>
</center>
-<h3>Feature Summary:</h3>
- * [./concepts.wiki | Distributed version control]
- * Integrated, [./bugtheory.wiki | distributed bug tracking] and
- [./wikitheory.wiki | distributed wiki].
- * Built-in [./webui.wiki | web interface] that supports deep
- archaeological digs through the project history.
- * All network communication via HTTP with
- [./quickstart.wiki#proxy | proxy support]
- so that everything works from behind restrictive firewalls.
- Communication is [./stats.wiki | bandwidth-efficient].
- * Everything (client, server, and utilities) is included in a
- single self-contained executable - [./build.wiki | trivial to install].
- * Server runs as [./quickstart.wiki#cgiserver | CGI], using
- [./quickstart.wiki#inetdserver | inetd/xinetd]
- or using its own
- [./quickstart.wiki#serversetup | built-in, stand alone web server].
- * Flexible workflow:<ul>
- <li>Disconnected, distributed development like
- <a href="http://kerneltrap.org/node/4982">git</a>,
- <a href="http://www.monotone.ca/">monotone</a>,
- <a href="http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi">mercurial</a>,
- and <a href="http://www.bitkeeper.com/">bitkeeper</a>
- <li>Or, client/server operation like
- <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/cvs/">CVS</a> and
- <a href="http://subversion.tigris.org/">subversion</a>,
- <li>Or, operations on local repositories,
- <li>Or, all of the above at the same time</ul>
- * [./selfhost.wiki | Self-hosting] since 2007-07-21.
- * An entire project contained in single
- [./stats.wiki | compact] disk file
- (an [http://www.sqlite.org/ | SQLite] database.)
- * Uses an [./fileformat.wiki | enduring file format] that is
- designed to be readable, searchable, and extensible by people
- not yet born.
- * Automatic [./selfcheck.wiki | self-check]
- on repository changes makes it exceedingly
- unlikely that data will ever be lost because of a software bug.
- * License: [../COPYRIGHT-GPL2.txt | GPL]
+<h3>Why Use Fossil?</h3>
+
+There are plenty of open-source version control systems available on the
+internet these days. What makes Fossil worthy of attention?
+
+ 1. <b>Bug Tracking And Wiki</b> -
+ In addition to doing [./concepts.wiki | distributed version control]
+ like Git and Mercurial,
+ Fossil also supports [./bugtheory.wiki | distributed bug tracking] and
+ [./wikitheory.wiki | distributed wiki] all in a single
+ integrated package.
+
+ 2. <b>Web Interface</b> -
+ Fossil has a built-in and easy-to-use [./webui.wiki | web interface]
+ that simplifies project tracking and promotes situational awareness.
+ Simply type "fossil ui" from within any check-out and Fossil
+ automatically opens your web browser in a page that gives detailed
+ history and status information on that project.
+
+ 3. <b>Autosync</b> -
+ Fossil supports [./concepts.wiki#workflow | "autosync" mode]
+ which helps to keep projects moving
+ forward by reducing the amount of needless
+ [./branching.wiki | forking and merging] often
+ associated distributed projects.
+
+ 4. <b>Self-Contained</b> -
+ Fossil is a single stand-alone executable that contains everything
+ needed to do configuration management.
+ Installation is trivial: simply download a
+ <a href="http://www.fossil-scm.org/download.html">precompiled binary</a>
+ for Linux, Mac, or Windows and put it on your $PATH.
+ [./build.wiki | Easy-to-compile source code] is available for
+ users on other platforms. Fossil sources are also mostly self-contained,
+ requiring only the "zlib" library and the standard C library to build.
+
+ 5. <b>Simple Networking</b> -
+ Fossil uses plain old HTTP (with
+ [./quickstart.wiki#proxy | proxy support])
+ for all network communications, meaning that it works fine from behind
+ restrictive firewalls. The protocol is
+ [./stats.wiki | bandwidth efficient] to the point that Fossil can be
+ used comfortably over a dial-up internet connection.
+
+ 6. <b>CGI Enabled</b> -
+ No server is required to use fossil. But a
+ server does make collaboration easier. Fossil supports three different
+ yet simple [./quickstart.wiki#serversetup | server configurations].
+ The most popular is a 2-line CGI script. This is the approach
+ used by the [./selfhost.wiki | self-hosting fossil repositories].
+
+ 7. <b>Robust & Reliable</b> -
+ Fossil stores content in an SQLite database so that transactions are
+ atomic even if interrupted by a power loss or system crash. Furthermore,
+ automatic [./selfcheck.wiki | self-checks] verify that all aspects of
+ the repository are consistent prior to each commit. In over two years
+ of operation, no work has ever been lost after having been committed to
+ a Fossil repository.
-<h3>User Links:</h3>
+<hr>
+<h3>Links For Fossil Users:</h3>
+ * [./reviews.wiki | Testimonials] from satisfied fossil users.
* [./faq.wiki | FAQ]
* The [./concepts.wiki | concepts] behind fossil
* [./quickstart.wiki | Quick Start] guide to using fossil
- * [./reviews.wiki | Testimonials] from fossil users.
* [./qandc.wiki | Questions & Criticisms] directed at fossil.
* [./build.wiki | Building And Installing]
* Fossil supports [./embeddeddoc.wiki | embedded documentation]
that is versioned along with project source code.
+ * Fossil uses an [./fileformat.wiki | enduring file format] that is
+ designed to be readable, searchable, and extensible by people
+ not yet born.
* A tutorial on [./branching.wiki | branching], what it means and how
to do it using fossil.
* The [./selfcheck.wiki | automatic self-check] mechanism
helps insure project integrity.
@@ -83,9 +108,9 @@
* How to [./shunning.wiki | delete content] from a fossil repository.
* Some (unfinished but expanding) extended
[./reference.wiki | reference documentation] for the fossil command line.
-<h3>Developer Links:</h3>
+<h3>Links For Fossil Developer:</h3>
* [./pop.wiki | Principles Of Operation]
* The [./fileformat.wiki | file format] used by every content
file stored in the repository.