path: root/2a/28c29bc4f3b7242d9fac75d460f2efc95acfe8

Return-Path: <jtimon@jtimon.cc>
Received: from smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (smtp1.linux-foundation.org
	[172.17.192.35])
	by mail.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 5040E13D9
	for <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>;
	Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:28:09 +0000 (UTC)
X-Greylist: whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6
Received: from mail-wi0-f178.google.com (mail-wi0-f178.google.com
	[209.85.212.178])
	by smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 1301D161
	for <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>;
	Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:28:08 +0000 (UTC)
Received: by wicge5 with SMTP id ge5so217784385wic.0
	for <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>;
	Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:28:06 -0700 (PDT)
X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
	d=1e100.net; s=20130820;
	h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date
	:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type
	:content-transfer-encoding;
	bh=YuvuykZNHvOaTKgdVLVzckYgCpFBwFZVcZrn755W61g=;
	b=kbdXfkbR0ZPnMAsMY2JD/LWepUiRMqhUaEuQaDF7sc8TR+SbYpdJY+sXuNN2Nv6iJV
	O8l/9kaF320jZh8YGpBDQk7SAFgMhc4groay+Le8Wmq2MP8nyqsJ7QOwjfyQ3lQMo3Vr
	ZYUjlBpqKolEJ6hcem0CKBZ+FNmCyAk3kurJUiKakpTffGhIe16iAAIpRtXhlMJZUrV4
	c3arW6RBbPT/1sTi7bk+bPAhUJxM+tksoHkpgwklXgsE1qq8VGL/TIEBjFAEAEwEum5m
	IhiSy+yWvMCLVBy6ixZ/AAYXd70IgT2X0L50eTi0dz/16695ZS3qt5p6Xp0X7QvXAQZb
	vZ/w==
X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQm49cJc9Me8Ea4vtmsmUORtb1b4mVFmh4DOUBwzGjnuHcxg8UP2fvxy5Ey7BzXOUrDxTwCF
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Received: by 10.180.107.130 with SMTP id hc2mr4880536wib.92.1443029286611;
	Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:28:06 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.194.37.5 with HTTP; Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:28:06 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <CAGLBAhciSUZuKTcKmKFxy5O3Pmou=_-PG9Dk5m=y9p3TSBikAA@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CADm_WcY8Vy+k+5BaBS+jV6D6tmSXrok8rAxoPxxKOzUhyPWgMg@mail.gmail.com>
	<CABm2gDoXa9ERY7iSsouxjypq1PwV_9HuBrtFQ_jrs5pGFst=KQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<CAGLBAhciSUZuKTcKmKFxy5O3Pmou=_-PG9Dk5m=y9p3TSBikAA@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:28:06 +0200
Message-ID: <CABm2gDrPeiaC9znS+th_VrmFGk6v=yr=i0=PNDSS0AjvrPG6JQ@mail.gmail.com>
From: =?UTF-8?B?Sm9yZ2UgVGltw7Nu?= <jtimon@jtimon.cc>
To: Dave Scotese <dscotese@litmocracy.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_LOW
	autolearn=ham version=3.3.1
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on
	smtp1.linux-foundation.org
Cc: Bitcoin development mailing list <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] libconsensus and bitcoin development process
X-BeenThere: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12
Precedence: list
List-Id: Bitcoin Development Discussion <bitcoin-dev.lists.linuxfoundation.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/options/bitcoin-dev>,
	<mailto:bitcoin-dev-request@lists.linuxfoundation.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/>
List-Post: <mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
List-Help: <mailto:bitcoin-dev-request@lists.linuxfoundation.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev>,
	<mailto:bitcoin-dev-request@lists.linuxfoundation.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:28:09 -0000

On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 1:49 AM, Dave Scotese <dscotese@litmocracy.com> wro=
te:
> If I'm reading this situation correctly, Jeff is basically pointing out t=
hat
> developers need more links (hooks, rungs, handholds, data points, whateve=
r
> you want to call them) so that they can see all the things his email
> insinuated are missing (a plan, order, sense, etc.).  He didn't say these
> things were missing, but that it kind of feels like it from the 10,000 fo=
ot
> view.
>
> If you use Google to search the list, as in <<site:lists.linuxfoundation.=
org
> libconsensus plan>> you DO NOT get the page Jorge gave.  He wrote that pa=
ge,
> so he had a good idea what to search for to find it again.  I just want t=
o
> recommend that when you describe the work you're doing on bitcoin, imagin=
e
> several different ways people might try to find this description in the
> future and make them work.  In other words, Jorge could have put "A plan =
for
> abstracting out libconsensus" in the email where he wrote "Here are some
> things that need to happen first..."
>
> Likewise, if Jeff had searched for <<site:lists.linuxfoundation.org
> libconsensus plan>> (maybe he did, but he didn't list any results), he ma=
y
> have found enough clues to see Jorge's overall plan.  The "site:" keyword=
 on
> Google fascinated me when I discovered it, so I let it inspire this email
> :-)

My fault: https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/6714

> On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 11:12 AM, Jorge Tim=C3=B3n
> <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 6:10 AM, Jeff Garzik via bitcoin-dev
>> <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
>> > [collating a private mail and a github issue comment, moving it to a
>> > better forum]
>> >
>> > On libconsensus
>> > ---------------
>> > In general there exists the reasonable goal to move consensus state
>> > and code to a specific, separate lib.
>> >
>> > To someone not closely reviewing the seemingly endless stream of
>> > libconsensus refactoring PRs, the 10,000 foot view is that there is a
>> > rather random stream of refactors that proceed in fits and starts
>> > without apparent plan or end other than a one sentence "isolate
>> > consensus state and code" summary.
>> >
>> > I am hoping that
>> > * There is some plan
>> > * We will not see a five year stream of random consensus code movement
>> > patches causing lots of downstream developer headaches.
>> >
>> > I read every code change in every pull request that comes into
>> > github/bitcoin/bitcoin with three exceptions:
>> > * consensus code movement changes - too big, too chaotic, too
>> > frequent, too unfocused, laziness guarantees others will inevitably
>> > ACK it without me.
>> > * some non-code changes (docs)
>> > * ignore 80% of the Qt changes
>> >
>> > As with any sort of refactoring, they are easy to prove correct, easy
>> > to reason, and therefore quick and easy to ACK and merge.
>> >
>> > Refactors however have a very real negative impact.
>> > bitcoin/bitcoin.git is not only the source tree in the universe.
>> > Software engineers at home, at startups, and at major companies are
>> > maintaining branches of their own.
>> >
>> > It is very very easy to fall into a trap where a project is merging
>> > lots of cosmetic changes and not seeing the downstream ripple effects.
>> > Several people complained to me at the conference about all the code
>> > movement changes breaking their own work, causing them to stay on
>> > older versions of bitcoin due to the effort required to rebase to each
>> > new release version - and I share those complaints.
>> >
>> > Complex code changes with longer development cycles than simple code
>> > movement patches keep breaking.  It is very frustrating, and causes
>> > folks to get trapped between a rock and a hard place:
>> > - Trying to push non-trivial changes upstream is difficult, for normal
>> > and reasonable reasons (big important changes need review etc.).
>> > - Maintaining non-trivial changes out of tree is also painful, for the
>> > aforementioned reasons.
>> >
>> > Reasonable work languishes in constant-rebase hell, and incentivizes
>> > against keeping up with the latest tree.
>> >
>> >
>> > Aside from the refactor, libconsensus appears to be engineering in the
>> > dark.  Where is any sort of plan?  I have low standards - a photo of a
>> > whiteboard or youtube clip will do.
>>
>> Just because you don't understand the changes proposed it doesn't mean
>> that they are random.
>> I may have done a poor job in communicating "my plan for libconsensus"
>> but I have tried many times and in many ways.
>> #bitcoin-dev logs show that I have not worked "in the dark" at all, on
>> the contrary, I've been very tenacious when asking for review and
>> opinions, to the point that several people (at least @laanwj and
>> @theuni have complained about their github inboxes being full of
>> "spam").
>> This is a relatively recent thread where I describe my plan:
>>
>> http://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2015-July/009568.=
html
>> Not my first attempt on this list.
>>
>> It is very frustrating that everybody seems to agree that separating
>> libconsensus is a priority to maximize the number of people that can
>> safely contribute to the project, but at the same time, nobody thinks
>> that reviewing the necessary refactors to do so is a priority.
>> I tried creating big PRs for people to see "the big picture" #5946 but
>> those were too many commits and nobody wanted to read it. Gavin asked
>> for an API.
>> So I tried a smaller step: exposing just VerifyHeader in libconsensus
>> and leave VerifyTx and VerifyBlock for later #5995
>> Again, this was "too big" and "a moving target". In the meantime I
>> always had smaller one-little-step PRs that were part of a longer
>> branch:
>>
>> ** [8/8] MERGED Consensus
>> - [X] Consensus: Decouple pow from chainparams #5812 [consensuspow]
>> - [X] MOVEONLY: Move constants and globals to consensus.h #5696
>> [consensus_policy0]
>> - [X] Chainparams: Refactor: Decouple IsSuperMajority from Params()
>> #5968 [params_consensus]
>> - [X] Remove redundant getter CChainParams::SubsidyHalvingInterval()
>> #5996 [params_subsidy]
>> - [X] Separate CValidationState from main #5669 [consensus]
>> - [X] Consensus: Decouple ContextualCheckBlockHeader from checkpoints
>> #5975 [consensus_checkpoints]
>> - [X] Separate Consensus::CheckTxInputs and GetSpendHeight in
>> CheckInputs #6061 [consensus_inputs]
>> - [X] Bugfix: Don't check the genesis block header before accepting it
>> #6299 [5975-quick-fix]
>> ** [5/5] DELETED
>> *** DELETED Refactor: Create CCoinsViewEfficient interface for
>> CCoinsViewCache #5747 [coins]
>> *** DELETED Chainparams: Explicit Consensus::Params arg in consensus
>> functions #6024 [params_consensus2]
>> *** DELETED MOVEONLY: Move most of consensus functions (pre-block)
>> #6051 [consensus_moveonly] (depends on consensus-blocksize-0.12.99)
>> *** DELETED Consensus: Refactor: Separate CheckFinalTx from
>> main::IsFinalTx #6063 [consensus_finaltx]
>> *** DELETED Consensus: Refactor: Turn CBlockIndex::GetMedianTimePast
>> into independent function #6009 [consensus_mediantime]
>> *** DELETED Consensus: Adapt declarations of most obviously consensus
>> functions #6591 [consensus-params-0.12.99]
>> *** DELETED Consensus: Move blocksize and related parameters to
>> consensusparams ...without removing consensus/consensus.h [#6526
>> alternative] #6625 [consensus-blocksize-0.12.99]
>>
>> After a while I stop rebasing the longer branches and just maintained
>> a few small consensus-related PRs at a time.
>>
>> Now I consolidated 3 of them in
>>
>> *** REVIEW Optimizations: Consensus: In AcceptToMemoryPool,
>> ConnectBlock, and CreateNewBlock #6445 [consensus-txinputs-0.12.99]
>>
>> with the hope that it would be merged relatively fast.
>> After that it will be much simpler to start talking about potential C
>> APIs for VerifyHeader, VerifyTx and VerifyBlock; as well as separating
>> the library to a subtree.
>>
>> I'm more than happy to answer any questions anyone may have about any
>> of the PRs or commits, until everybody interested is convinced that
>> there's nothing random in the proposed changes.
>> I'm also more than happy to get advice on how to better communicate my
>> plans and structure my PRs.
>> _______________________________________________
>> bitcoin-dev mailing list
>> bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org
>> https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
>
>
>
>
> --
> I like to provide some work at no charge to prove my value. Do you need a
> techie?
> I own Litmocracy and Meme Racing (in alpha).
> I'm the webmaster for The Voluntaryist which now accepts Bitcoin.
> I also code for The Dollar Vigilante.
> "He ought to find it more profitable to play by the rules" - Satoshi
> Nakamoto