tl;dr:
There is a Debian git transition plan. It’s going OK so far but we need help, especially with outreach and updating Debian’s documentation.
Everyone who interacts with Debian source code should be able to do so entirely in git.
That means, more specifically:
All examination and edits to the source should be performed via normal git operations. Source code should be transferred and exchanged as git data, not tarballs. git should be the canonical form everywhere. Upstream git histories should be re-published, traceably, as part of formal git releases published by Debian. No-one should have to learn about Debian Source Packages, which are bizarre, and have been obsoleted by modern version control.
This is very ambitious, but we have come a long way!
We have come a very long way. But, there is still much to do - especially, the git transition team needs your help with adoption, developer outreach, and developer documentation overhaul.
We’ve made big strides towards goals 1 and 4. Goal 2 is partially achieved: we currently have dual running. Goal 3 is within our reach but depends on widespread adoption of tag2upload (and/or dgit push).
Downstreams and users can obtain the source code of any Debian package in git form. (dgit clone, 2013). They can then work with this source code completely in git, including building binaries, merging new versions, even automatically (eg Raspbian, 2016), and all without having to deal with source packages at all (eg Wikimedia 2025).
A Debian maintainer can maintain their own package entirely in git. They can obtain upstream source code from git, and do their packaging work in git ( git-buildpackage , 2006).
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