More on Python and Mercurial

Created 4/1/2009, updated 3/12/2020

1 minute read

I tweeted about this a couple of days ago, but now I have more details on why Python chose Mercurial over Bzr or Git:

Based on the results of that survey where git was clearly the most disliked tool of the core developers, having the weakest Windows support, and not being implemented in Python, I decided to eliminate git from the running and announce its elimination at the first lightning talk at PyCon.

I'm not a Python developer so this has absolutely zero impact for me, but I was still disappointed to see a relatively high-profile project like Python choose their SCM on such emotional rather than technical grounds.

Reason 1: they don't "like" Git. Um, ok. How about giving some technical reasons why?
Reason 2: "weak" Windows support. Not a Windows user myself, but my understanding is that Git actually has excellent Windows support nowadays.
Reason 3: "not ... implemented in Python"... This one is the most bizarre of all. Should Ruby reject Git because it's not written in Ruby? Should Apple refuse to store their Objective-C source code using Perforce (or any other SCM) because it's not written in Objective-C?

Ah, well. Like I said: zero impact for me. I don't think they've chosen the best tool, but they've made their bed and now they're the ones who'll have to sleep in it.