Darrell Anderson wrote:
>>> We have discussed how we want to maintain some of the
>> automake files in the source tree after a package is
>> converted to cmake. Those files provide us an historical
>> record of what was.
>>
>> I would expect that historical data is available through the
>> revision
>> system (Git) at least? Cluttering the source packages with
>> unused files
>> doesn't really seem like the best idea to me.
> 
> Where is the clutter? Every automake package still has that file.
> 
> They are small text files with important information, requiring less storage space than other automake files retained in the directory. :)
> 
> I don't find those files on my local GIT repository for the cmake converted packages. The current cmake conversions took place before the SVN to GIT migration and I suspect those files are not part of GIT.

When the conversion from Subversion to GIT took place, all the previous
revisions should have been imported as well.

You will not find the files if you just check out the repository, but
when you use the git command to go back to an older revision, you will
be able to get access to these files again. Normally this should also be
possible through the web interface.

Another option is using the original Subversion repository to go back in
time to get these files.

The point of clutter is not so much regarding disk space as it is to
having extra files that are maybe completely unused. At some point in
the future it could be confusing what files are still necessary for
building and which ones just contain information.
Because everything is still available through the revision system
anyhow, it should not be necessary to keep these files in the source
package. In addition the revision system will give you information about
all the changes made to these files in the past, so you can get even
more info in that way.

Julius