From Fedora Project Wiki

GitRepos-master-to-main

Summary

This Change will move Fedora git repositories to use "main" as the default git branch instead of "master". Specific repositories will be manually moved and default git branch for new projects will be set to use "main".

The Fedora Community strives to be open and welcoming. Some language around our git repositories is dated and could be more inclusive. Many git repositories currently use "master" as the default branch. This Change will move many repositories (see below) to use a "main" branch as default. This small bit of naming adjustment is in-line with Fedora's vision for free and open source software built by inclusive, welcoming, and open-minded communities.


Owner

Current status

  • Targeted release: Fedora 34
  • Last updated: 2020-12-03
  • FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
  • Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
  • Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>


Detailed Description

The Fedora Project controls a number of git repositories. This change will move the default branch (that is, the git branch used when nothing is specified) from 'master' to 'main'. Existing git clones will need to pull to get the changed default branch. Existing Pull Requests against the 'master' branch will need to be rebased against the 'main' branch. Documentation will be updated.


Feedback

  • Why not use "rawhide" for dist-git?
    • Not every namespace on dist-git has a rawhide version. For example: containers do not have/use rawhide. And having different default branches on different namespaces is not very appealing.

Benefit to Fedora

The Fedora Project will be a more welcoming place for new contributors.


Scope

This change will take place in a number of phases:

Phase0 - 2020-12-14

  A guide will be published to explain how maintainers/project managers can change the default
  branch on pagure.io, which they can then do based in their projects desires.

Phase1 - 2020-12-15

The following repos will be switched:

 src.fedoraproject.org/flatpacks/*
 pagure.io:
   releng
   releng/*
   fedora-comps
   fedora-kickstarts
   fedora-infrastructure
   fedora-lorax-templates
   fedora-mediawikitheme
   fedora-packager
   fedora-infra/*
   infra-docs
   koji-fedmsg-plugin
   workstation-ostree-config
   pungi-fedora
 github.com
   fedora-infra/*

Phase2 - 2021-01-13

  src.fedoraproject.org/*
  pagure.io default for new projects will be changed to 'main'
  • Proposal owners:
  Switching all above listed projects git repos to use 'main'
  Deleting the 'master' branch
  Announcing when changes have been made on devel-announce / other lists.
  • Other developers:
  Other developers are encouraged to change their upstream projects on pagure.io, github or gitlab.
  • Release engineering:
  Releng will adjust any scripts that assume 'master' branch to use 'main' instead. The list includes and maybe few more
  update-critpath.py
  block_retired.py
  update-docs.sh
  find_unblocked_orphans.py
  mass-rebuild-second-run.py
  adjust-eol-modules.py
  adjust-eol-modules.py
  adjust-eol-modules.py
  adjust-eol.py
  create-new-release-branches.py
  create-branch.py
  adjust-eol-all.py
  check-unretirement.py
  mass-rebuild-special.py
  need-rebuild.py
  distgit-branch-unused.py
  create-new-release-branches.py
  • Policies and guidelines: N/A
  • Trademark approval: N/A
  • Alignment with Objectives:


Upgrade/compatibility impact

Users with old checkouts will need to update their git configuration or re-clone repositories that have changed before they can see any new changes.

Repos used to build content for docs.fedoraproject.org can change the default git branch, but the Antora module version (in antora.yml) should remain master pending support for alternate "unversioned" versions upstream.


How To Test

  1. git clone <one of the listed repositories>
  2. cd <repositoryname>
  3. git branch

should return: * main


User Experience

Users and developers will see more welcoming language and that the fedora project expended effort to be more welcoming to them.


Dependencies

none


Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: Revert repositories, scripts, and docs back to the unwelcoming 'master'
  • Contingency date: 2020-01-13


Documentation

A short guide on how to change this for pagure.io will be produced.


Release Notes

Many git repositories used to create Fedora releases were moved to use a 'main' branch instead of a 'master' branch. The Fedora Project envisions a world where everyone benefits from free and open source software built by inclusive, welcoming, and open-minded communities.