[tlug] Git challenged (maintaining an Android build)

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Shawn Brown writes:
 > Hi,
 > 
 > I want to build Android from source overtime as it changes.  I also
 > need to add in the Google applications that I can pull from my phone
 > now but aren't in the Android source (there is other proprietary stuff
 > for the camera and audio etc that isn't in source).
 > 
 > How can I do that in Git.  I really don't have my head around this.

1. clone the git repository
2. switch to a new branch, say 'git checkout -b mystuff'
3. cp the files you need into place
4. add them with 'git add .'
5. git commit -m "added my files"
6. fix up the build infrastructure
7. git commit -a -m "build infra changes to support my version"

Then when there's a new version

8. git fetch $ANDROID-REPO master:master
9. git rebase master

Fix any conflicts (these should be very few as you describe your
scenario) and commit any changes.

Note that after step 2 you never leave your branch.  That's why in
step 7 you 'fetch' rather than 'pull' (pull would proceed to merge;
this should work just as well, except that any changes you make to
your private configuration over time get spread out in history; the
fetch-and-rebase method clumps them together at the recent end of
history).

It's possible that there's an even simpler way to do this:

1. clone the git repository
2. cp the files you need into place
3. add them with 'git add .'
4. git commit -m "added my files"
5. fix up the build infrastructure
6. git commit -a -m "build infra changes to support my version"

Then when there's a new version

7. git pull --rebase

I haven't tried this myself, though (it's a relatively new option).

 > I'm on the cupcake branch now but when things go over to donut, then
 > I'll need to reapply the same changes to build files and include the
 > same packages for addition.

1. git fetch $ANDROID_REPO donut
2. git rebase --onto donut cupcake master

should do the trick.

 > Sorry if this seems like a simple question but even after reading how
 > people advise using branches to select just the essential of something
 > they developed, I'm not sure in a simple case like mine if that is the
 > best.  I mean I'm going to have uncommitted stuff when/if I go to
 > switch branches.

"Uncommitted"?  Why?  Do you mean "unpushed"?