Bitkeeper

Bitkeeper is a software tool for revision control (configuration management, SCM etc) of computer source code. A sophisticated distributed system, Bitkeeper competes largely against other professional systems such as Rational ClearCase and Perforce. Bitkeeper is produced by BitMover Inc., a privately held company based in San Francisco, California.

Bitkeeper is a closed-source product, and is normally sold or leased (as part of a support-package) to medium or large corporations. The precise cost varies with individual customer, but the per-developer cost is estimated to be over two thousand dollars.

BitMover also allows access to the system for certain open source or free software projects, the most famous (and controversial) of which is the source code of the Linux kernel. The license for the "community" version of Bitkeeper allows for developers to use the tool at no cost for open source or free software projects, provided those developers do not participate in the development of a competing tool (such as CVS, Subversion or ClearCase). This restriction applies whether the competing tool is open/free or proprietary. This version of Bitkeeper also requires that certain meta-information about changes be stored on computer servers operated by Bitmover, an addition which means that it is impossible for users of the community version to run projects of which Bitmover is unaware.

The choice of Bitkeeper for Linux kernel development was a controversial one. Some advocates, most notably GNU founder Richard Stallman, expressed concern about proprietary tools being used on a free project. While project leader Linus Torvalds and other core developers adopted Bitkeeper, several key developers (including Linux veteran Alan Cox) refused to do so, citing the Bitmover licence, and voicing concern that the project was ceeding some control to a commercial developer. To mitigate these concerns, Bitmover added gateways which allowed limited interoperation between the Linux Bitkeeper servers (maintained by Bitmover) and developers using CVS and Subversion. Even after this addition, flamewars occasionally break out on the Linux Kernel Mailing List, often involving key kernel developers and Bitmover CEO Larry McVoy.

In November 2003, a cracker compromised the CVS interface and attempted to introduce a security defect that would allow the easy operation of trojan horse programs on the resulting kernel. The defect, which masqueraded as a legitimate change by networking architect David S. Miller, was detected and removed within 24 hours of its introduction.

Links



In the News

NASA Observations Help Determine Titan Wind Speeds
Strong westerly winds of up to about 400 kilometers per hour (250 miles per hour) buffeted the Huygens probe as it descended through Titan's upper atmosphere last month, according to NASA-led observations of the probe transmissions with Earth-based radio telescopes.

How does Santa do it
An advanced knowledge of electromagnetic waves, the space-time continuum, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and computer science easily explains Santa’s abilities to deliver presents to millions of homes and children in just one night, according to professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Larry Silverberg, at North Carolina State University.Silverberg explains that Santa has a personal wireless connection [...]

Radiient Technology Touts Wireless Speakers for Audiophiles
Wireless speakers sound like a great idea, but so far no one has made them work very well -- sound quality and latency are just too problematic. Now a new ultra-wideband, mesh-networked wireless-speaker technology aims to fix that.

Dude, Where's My Password?
Identity 2.0 company Sxip releases a new login and password managementextension for Firefox called Sxipper. The free download encrypts and storesyour login information locally, then lets you gain access to websites with aclick of the mouse. In Monkey Bites.

Change In Guidelines Could Help Eliminate Tuberculosis In United State
To eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, current guidelines should be changed to reclassify all foreign-born residents from high incidence countries as "high-risk"regardless of the amount of time they have lived in the US.

NCAR Analysis Shows Widespread Pollution From 2004 Wildfires
Wildfires in Alaska and Canada in 2004 emitted as much carbon monoxide as did human-related activities in the continental United States during the same time period, according to new research by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The fires also increased ground-level ozone across much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Water and Storm Management in New Orleans: A Selection of Historical D
Transcriptions of documents about the water system in New Orleans. Features a pamphlet of a paper read by the mayor of New Orleans in 1914 about the history of the water systems, with information about the inception of the drainage system (including the canals and pumping stations), the water purification system, and sewer construction. Also includes images from 1901 of the system and information about a 1915 hurricane.

Protein Fingerprinting Made Easy
Combining some traditional experimental methods of molecular biology with computational methods of artificial intelligence, scientists have demonstrated a novel approach for producing 'protein fingerprints'of diverse tissues. This result could lead to the development of new convenient methods in medical diagnostics. Being directly responsible for a great majority of processes in living cells, proteins are the most important class of biological molecules.

'Locavores' Dine on Regional Chow
When a group of Earth-conscious gastronomes gather for a holiday meal made only from ingredients produced within 100 miles of the home, the constraints of the task birth some creative results. By Paul Adams. Plus:Gallery: Geekiest Thanksgiving Cooking GearBook excerpt: Deal With Turkey Day Disasters

Jefferson Researchers Find Drug May Give Some Cardiac Protection 24 Ho
A drug has been shown to provide some protection to the heart from injury even if given as much as 24 hours after a heart attack, Jefferson Medical College researchers report. Darbepoietin, a long-acting cousin of erythropoietin (EPO), offered significant protection to heart tissue from injury from ischemia, and even helped improve cardiac function.


MP3 Music Downloads

Preview songs, Download Free Music,Burn CDs at ITunes.com
iTunes_RGB_9mm

 

Google




InformationQuickFind.com - Find Information Fast

Links