Bazaar (software)

Bazaar (software)
source
Name	Bazaar
Developer	Canonical Ltd., community contributors
Released	2005
Programming language	Python
Operating system	Linux, macOS, Windows
Genre	Distributed revision control system
License	GNU General Public License v3

Bazaar (software) is a distributed revision control system created to manage source code and collaborative development for software projects. It was originally developed by a company known for a major Linux distribution and used by projects associated with that distribution, a major open-source office suite, and several independent foundations. Bazaar emphasized ease of use, flexible workflows, and integration with hosting services, targeting both individual developers and large organizations.

Overview and History

Bazaar emerged in the mid-2000s amid a wave of version control innovation that included systems developed by projects tied to major open-source initiatives such as Linux kernel development and foundations like the Apache Software Foundation. Its principal corporate sponsor was a company behind Ubuntu (operating system), and key contributors included engineers with ties to other projects at Canonical Ltd., OpenOffice.org, and independent consultants. Bazaar's development intersected with debates involving proponents of systems used by the GNU Project, advocates from the Debian Project, and authors of alternative tools such as those behind Git (software) and Mercurial. Over time, Bazaar attracted contributions from individuals associated with organizations like the GNOME Project and various academic groups, before its stewardship shifted toward a broader community as other platforms and hosting services gained prominence.

Features and Architecture

Bazaar implemented features common to modern distributed systems while offering distinctive design choices influenced by contributors with backgrounds at Canonical Ltd. and other free software initiatives. It provided branching and merging capabilities used in workflows popularized by projects such as Mozilla, supported multiple network push and pull protocols including methods similar to those used by Subversion-based services, and integrated with graphical environments associated with the GNOME Project and KDE. The architecture—written in Python (programming language)—allowed plugin extensions used by teams at organizations like Launchpad (software) and research groups at universities such as University of Cambridge. Bazaar's storage formats and transport adapters were shaped by practices seen in version control discussions at gatherings like FOSDEM and OSS conferences.

Workflow and Commands

Bazaar supported multiple workflows familiar to contributors of projects like Debian Project, Ubuntu (operating system), and the GNOME Project: centralized workflows resembling those used with Subversion; distributed workflows comparable to those advocated by Git (software) practitioners; and lightweight branching favored by contributors to the OpenStack ecosystem. Commands followed an English-like verb structure enabling operations analogous to commit, branch, merge, push, and pull used in systems maintained by the Apache Software Foundation and toolchains used by teams at Mozilla Foundation. Integration tools facilitated interactions with hosting services exemplified by Launchpad (software), code review systems similar to those at the Gerrit (software) project, and continuous integration services employed by organizations such as Travis CI.

Development and Versioning

The development of Bazaar reflected contributions from corporate engineers, independent maintainers, and community contributors associated with projects like OpenOffice.org and the GNOME Project. Versioning followed release practices familiar to projects at Canonical Ltd. and was influenced by discussions in mailing lists hosted by foundations such as the Free Software Foundation. As competing systems like Git (software) and Mercurial grew in adoption among enterprises like Google and communities around Linux kernel development, Bazaar's development pace and roadmap were affected by shifts in contributor attention and hosting platform evolution.

Adoption and Use Cases

Bazaar saw adoption in projects connected to the company behind Ubuntu (operating system), in educational settings at institutions such as University of Cambridge and other universities, and in some corporate environments exploring alternatives to centralized systems like Subversion. Use cases included managing source trees for desktop environments maintained by the GNOME Project, coordinating localized translations in projects tied to the Language Server Protocol ecosystem, and small-to-medium open-source projects that valued a gentler learning curve compared to systems favored by the Linux kernel community.

Licensing and Community

Bazaar was released under a copyleft license endorsed by the Free Software Foundation and used in projects affiliated with organizations like Canonical Ltd. and the GNOME Project. The community included contributors from foundations such as the Debian Project, independent maintainers, and participants in events like FOSDEM and regional unconferences. Governance combined corporate sponsorship with community-led contributions, reflecting models seen in projects supported by entities like the Apache Software Foundation and other sponsor-community arrangements.

Comparisons and Criticism

Comparisons between Bazaar and systems such as Git (software) and Mercurial often highlighted differences in performance, scalability, and ecosystem integration. Critics pointed to adoption trends driven by platforms like GitHub and large-scale projects at organizations such as Google and the Linux kernel community, which influenced perceptions of Bazaar's viability. Supporters contrasted Bazaar's usability and integration with tools used by the GNOME Project and Launchpad (software) against the rich ecosystem and hosting services developed around GitHub and GitLab (software).

Category:Distributed revision control systems Category:Free software programmed in Python