Git Debug Branch

From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2025-04-10 20:38:13

Sometime ago someone made the case that we should drop the Debug branch 
in the git storage for the libraries.  I found the case pretty 
convincing and endorsed the change.  However, it seems that the idea was 
not well received and the idea was not adopted.  I hope my endorsement 
wasn't responsable for it's being dismissed.

Now it seems that the idea HAS been adopted.  I've found in both the 
libraries I maintain, some "maintainers" check into the master branch 
directly from a feature branch used for debugging.  This was kind of 
problematic as the debug and master branch were no longer easily 
understood by doing a diff.  Worse, other "maintainers" check into the 
debug branch in the traditional way leaving the merge to master as a 
separate operation in the traditional manner.  My custom has been to 
merger to master just before the next release.

I only dip into maintenance occasionally, so I don't remember all the 
details and I have to spend a lot of time looking at who did what.  So, 
I'm announcing that I am unilaterally declaring soon I will be leaving 
the debug branch aside and not use it in the future.  Those who have the 
authority to directly make changes in these libraries (as opposed do 
making a merge request) should know that any pushes to the debug branch 
will be lost.

Robert Ramey