Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Forgejo, Gitea, Gogs & Github
-
Pijul
https://pijul.org
Pijul is a free and open source (GPL2) distributed version control system. Its distinctive feature is to be based on a theory of patches, while still being fast and scalable. This makes it easy to learn and use, without any compromise on power or features.
Why?
Commutation
In Pijul, independent changes can be applied in any order without changing the result or the version's identifier. This makes Pijul significantly simpler than workflows using
git rebaseorhg transplant. Pijul has a branch-like feature called "channels", but these are not as important as in other systems. For example, so-called feature branches are often just changes in Pijul. Keeping your history clean is the default.Merge correctness
Pijul guarantees a number of strong properties on merges. The most important one is that the order between lines is always preserved. This is unlike 3-way merge, which may sometimes shuffle lines around. When the order is unknown (for example in the case of concurrent edits), this is a conflict, which contrasts with systems with "automatic" or "no conflicts" merges.
First-class conflicts
In Pijul, conflicts are not modelled as a "failure to merge", but rather as the standard case. Specifically, conflicts happen between two changes, and are solved by one change. The resolution change solves the conflict between the same two changes, no matter if other changes have been made concurrently. Once solved, conflicts never come back.
Partial clones
Commutation makes it possible to clone only a small subset of a repository: indeed, one can only apply the changes related to that subset. Working on a partial clone produces changes that can readily be sent to the large repository.
Where to find it?
Pijul is bootstrapped, meaning that we use it for its own development. See the repository there:
https://nest.pijul.com/pijul/pijul
FAQ - https://pijul.org/faq
"Yes, we solved the exponential merge problem."
-
Pijul
https://pijul.org
Pijul is a free and open source (GPL2) distributed version control system. Its distinctive feature is to be based on a theory of patches, while still being fast and scalable. This makes it easy to learn and use, without any compromise on power or features.
Why?
Commutation
In Pijul, independent changes can be applied in any order without changing the result or the version's identifier. This makes Pijul significantly simpler than workflows using
git rebaseorhg transplant. Pijul has a branch-like feature called "channels", but these are not as important as in other systems. For example, so-called feature branches are often just changes in Pijul. Keeping your history clean is the default.Merge correctness
Pijul guarantees a number of strong properties on merges. The most important one is that the order between lines is always preserved. This is unlike 3-way merge, which may sometimes shuffle lines around. When the order is unknown (for example in the case of concurrent edits), this is a conflict, which contrasts with systems with "automatic" or "no conflicts" merges.
First-class conflicts
In Pijul, conflicts are not modelled as a "failure to merge", but rather as the standard case. Specifically, conflicts happen between two changes, and are solved by one change. The resolution change solves the conflict between the same two changes, no matter if other changes have been made concurrently. Once solved, conflicts never come back.
Partial clones
Commutation makes it possible to clone only a small subset of a repository: indeed, one can only apply the changes related to that subset. Working on a partial clone produces changes that can readily be sent to the large repository.
Where to find it?
Pijul is bootstrapped, meaning that we use it for its own development. See the repository there:
https://nest.pijul.com/pijul/pijul
FAQ - https://pijul.org/faq
"Yes, we solved the exponential merge problem."
@robi Thanks. I think the more projects that can get off Github the better. If you had a project kept on Github, how easy would it be to migrate it to Pijul? Also, what is the story behind the name, "Pijul"?
I think a lot of documentation pages could be improved by adding a couple of animated screen recordings of the software in use. ShareX has a record desktop function and they are easy to make.
-
@robi Thanks. I think the more projects that can get off Github the better. If you had a project kept on Github, how easy would it be to migrate it to Pijul? Also, what is the story behind the name, "Pijul"?
I think a lot of documentation pages could be improved by adding a couple of animated screen recordings of the software in use. ShareX has a record desktop function and they are easy to make.
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
what is the story behind the name, "Pijul"?
"Pijul" is a version control system that was developed by its creator, Pierre-Étienne Meunier. According to Meunier, the name "Pijul" comes from a combination of two words: "Pi" and "Jules".
The "Pi" comes from the mathematical constant π (pi), which Meunier considers to be a symbol of complexity and unpredictability. The "Jules" comes from the French author Jules Verne, who was known for his adventurous and imaginative stories. Meunier wanted a name that would reflect both the technical and creative aspects of the project.
In addition to its unique name, Pijul also has some distinctive features that set it apart from other version control systems, such as its use of a patch theory algorithm to track changes in files and its emphasis on simplicity and ease of use.
(via chatGPT)
-
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
what is the story behind the name, "Pijul"?
"Pijul" is a version control system that was developed by its creator, Pierre-Étienne Meunier. According to Meunier, the name "Pijul" comes from a combination of two words: "Pi" and "Jules".
The "Pi" comes from the mathematical constant π (pi), which Meunier considers to be a symbol of complexity and unpredictability. The "Jules" comes from the French author Jules Verne, who was known for his adventurous and imaginative stories. Meunier wanted a name that would reflect both the technical and creative aspects of the project.
In addition to its unique name, Pijul also has some distinctive features that set it apart from other version control systems, such as its use of a patch theory algorithm to track changes in files and its emphasis on simplicity and ease of use.
(via chatGPT)
-
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
Also, what an amazing answer from ChatGPT!
I wonder if it's true or it made it up!
-
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
Also, what an amazing answer from ChatGPT!
I wonder if it's true or it made it up!
@jdaviescoates said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
Also, what an amazing answer from ChatGPT!
I wonder if it's true or it made it up!
You probably know the funny term they have for "making up" things, they say the AI "hallucinated" it!
-
@jdaviescoates said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
@LoudLemur said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
Also, what an amazing answer from ChatGPT!
I wonder if it's true or it made it up!
You probably know the funny term they have for "making up" things, they say the AI "hallucinated" it!
@LoudLemur yes, which makes it quite useful in dealing with deliberate misinformation as it can uncover truth by similar means!
-
@LoudLemur yes, which makes it quite useful in dealing with deliberate misinformation as it can uncover truth by similar means!
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
@LoudLemur yes, which makes it quite useful in dealing with deliberate misinformation as it can uncover truth by similar means!
Could you please explain that a bit more, maybe with an example?
-
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
@LoudLemur yes, which makes it quite useful in dealing with deliberate misinformation as it can uncover truth by similar means!
Could you please explain that a bit more, maybe with an example?
@LoudLemur consider the
, representable in a similar way by true and false. They are intertwined.Since the system can make connection across all kinds of data, true and false, and we assume (poorly so) that our data is a source of truth, we get some "hallucinations" when the connections made are to things that don't line up with expectations or reality (as we think know it.)
Hence, when the system is running over mostly false data or misinformation, it can also make connections that are "hallucinations", which actually correspond to truth, even though it doesn't line up with the expected false narrative or reality that we're being given (as we think it is).
HTH
-
R robi referenced this topic on
-
@LoudLemur consider the
, representable in a similar way by true and false. They are intertwined.Since the system can make connection across all kinds of data, true and false, and we assume (poorly so) that our data is a source of truth, we get some "hallucinations" when the connections made are to things that don't line up with expectations or reality (as we think know it.)
Hence, when the system is running over mostly false data or misinformation, it can also make connections that are "hallucinations", which actually correspond to truth, even though it doesn't line up with the expected false narrative or reality that we're being given (as we think it is).
HTH
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Forgejo, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
it can also make connections that are "hallucinations", which actually correspond to truth,
Erm, as I'm sure you know really, most AI "hallucinations" are when they just make random shit up that sounds plausible but doesn't actually correspond to any truth at all.
-
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Forgejo, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
it can also make connections that are "hallucinations", which actually correspond to truth,
Erm, as I'm sure you know really, most AI "hallucinations" are when they just make random shit up that sounds plausible but doesn't actually correspond to any truth at all.
@jdaviescoates No, sorry. It is never random.
It always connects to something (it's linear algebra), however most of the time people have no idea where or why because of the black-box nature of the models.
That is in a previous life I chose to work on AI algorithms that produce transparent models and are fully explainable.
We could even explain black-box models!
-
@jdaviescoates No, sorry. It is never random.
It always connects to something (it's linear algebra), however most of the time people have no idea where or why because of the black-box nature of the models.
That is in a previous life I chose to work on AI algorithms that produce transparent models and are fully explainable.
We could even explain black-box models!
-
@jdaviescoates No, sorry. It is never random.
It always connects to something (it's linear algebra), however most of the time people have no idea where or why because of the black-box nature of the models.
That is in a previous life I chose to work on AI algorithms that produce transparent models and are fully explainable.
We could even explain black-box models!
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Forgejo, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
It is never random.
True, not random, it can only come from their models, what they "know".
But it is very often completely and utterly wrong and factually incorrect.
-
@robi said in Pijul - Alternative to GitLab, Forgejo, Gitea, Gogs & Github:
It is never random.
True, not random, it can only come from their models, what they "know".
But it is very often completely and utterly wrong and factually incorrect.
@jdaviescoates yes, it's an associative machine with lots of repeated data which uses probabilities to pick what the next best association is.
Just like your memory, it's faulty and fades unless you do very responsible things to make sure it isn't faulty. Validate correctness.
Why they'd choose to do this in binary compute systems is beyond stupid. Like asking your storage system to retrieve a specific file and it picks another probabilistic one instead. You'd be furious! Just find the right file!
The algos need to change, and be used in the appropriate places.
Lossy is ok in certain applications, but not where precision is needed. So don't expect it in LLMs as they're designed that way.
We have too many limiting beliefs that need correcting about all sorts of things.
Pushing for precision in a lossy system is upside down.
