kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Fabrizio Tappero <fabrizio.tappero@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello guys,

I have been mildly interested in the move of the kicad components
library to a github repo. Mainly interested in adding a section in the
kicad getting started tutorial I decided to learn how it works.

A little bit from Carl and a little more from here and there, I learn
that an average kicad user can/could/should contribute to the quality
of the kicad comp lib via its new github thing by submitting patches,
so the librarians group is born, etc.

Try to put myself on the kicad seat, I have some hard time understand
how git can be appealing to them. So I decided to ask this question to
you guys. Your opinion would be great. Here it goes.

When you get a repo because you want to contribute (either is kicad it
self or the kicad lib repo) u clone the master repo, you do your
modifications, you create and send to developers your patch, Done.

Few days after your patch gets applied and ideally your would like to
re-synch your current repo with the newest repo but it is not possible
because your current repo is out of synch since you did your
modifications locally.

One solution to that is create a branch, do the modification (create
and send the patch), go back to the original branch and resynch the
current repo, done. Well all this procedure seems to me quite
complicated especially when to contribute is some kicad users who is
trying to update a lib component but when really his interest is in
making PCBs. Also, git was born for code, so the average kicad user
will have to do the editing of the lib component part using the kicad
component editor, import, export, etc.

Do you actually agree that, in almost any open-source project, it is
already nearly impossible to get a contribution from somebody who is
not a coding guy. Let alone expect a contribution from a pcb developer
who already has to learn all the kicad moves, deal with his boss, buy
the components, do the soldering, oscilloscope, tester, the board
works but some soldering is needed, etc. etc.

Once again, in my opinion, git is made for developers not for (pcb
designers) who we are trying to take advantage of for improving kicad
lib quality. Don't get me wrong I love git as I love vegemite but
still are we sure this will bring lib contributions from PCBs
developers?

Maybe, some sort of intermediate tool that sits between the pcb guy
and git is needed?

Thank you for your time

Best regards
Fabrizio