Why did Matt choose the name Mercurial?

[Peter Toft]

Mostly to Matt Mackall :-)

Historic interest: Why was the name "Mercurial" chosen initially and not the name MattMackallsSuperDuperVersionControlSystemWhichBeatsCvsAndSvnAnyDayOfTheWeek? :-)

 

Yes, I have found http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0504.2/0670.html

 

Best

 

Peter

 

-- 
Peter Toft, PhD
http://petertoft.dk

[Tony Mechelynck]

On 15/02/12 19:06, Peter Toft wrote:
> Mostly to Matt Mackall :-)
>
> Historic interest: Why was the name "Mercurial" chosen initially and not
> the name
> MattMackallsSuperDuperVersionControlSystemWhichBeatsCvsAndSvnAnyDayOfTheWeek?
> :-)
>
> Yes, I have found
> http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0504.2/0670.html
>
> Best
>
> Peter

IIUC it's because Mercury, also known as quicksilver, is a liquid
fast-flowing metal. Maybe also because it is traditionally associated
with the Graeco-Roman god of salesmen and thieves (Latin "Mercurius",
Greek "Hermes").

Best regards,
Tony.
--
The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to
chance.

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[Matt Mackall]

On Wed, 2012-02-15 at 19:06 +0100, Peter Toft wrote:
>
> Mostly to Matt Mackall :-)
>
> Historic interest: Why was the name
> "Mercurial" chosen initially and not the name
> MattMackallsSuperDuperVersionControlSystemWhichBeatsCvsAndSvnAnyDayOfTheWeek?
> :-)
>
> Yes, I have found
> http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0504.2/0670.html

> [1]

Shortly before the first release, I read an article about the ongoing
Bitkeeper debacle that described Larry McVoy as mercurial (in the sense
of 'fickle'). Given the multiple meanings, the convenient abbreviation,
and the good fit with my pre-existing naming scheme (see my email
address), it clicked instantly. Mercurial is thus named in Larry's
honor. I do not know if the same is true of Git.

--
Mathematics is the supreme nostalgia of our time.

[Robert Altman]

Off topic, but I find it interesting that both Mercurial and Git have
been used to describe the late Steve Jobs ):

Robert