March 2012 Summaries

API v3, which has been operational for nearly a year, is set to fully replace its predecessors, API v1 and API v2, as they will be terminated on June 1st, 2012, marking a shift towards a unified codebase for enhanced reliability and security. This transition reflects a significant increase in API consumers and aligns with ambitious future plans, emphasizing documentation as a key component with the motto "it's not shipped if it's not documented." API v3 introduces versioning via a custom GitHub mime type and discontinues basic auth with tokens, instead offering OAuth tokens through the Authorizations API, which permits setting OAuth scopes per token and adding notes for functionality clarity. Users are encouraged to follow updates on the @githubapi Twitter account and the API documentation's Git repository, and to provide feedback if essential features from API v2 are missing.

Ben Bleikamp and Kami Richey will be in Columbia, South Carolina, for the POSSCON event and are hosting a social gathering at the Liberty Tap Room on Wednesday, March 28th, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. They invite attendees, as well as those not participating in the conference, to join them for drinks and socializing. The event aims to provide an informal setting for networking and mingling, encouraging people to stop by for a beer at the venue located at 828 Gervais Street.

Nodeload 2, operational since August, is a system that dynamically builds and delivers Git repositories as zip files using two Node.js apps: a proxy app that routes download requests and an archiver app on file servers for delivering git-archive contents over HTTP. It features 32 file servers, including failovers, and is equipped with instrumentation to monitor zipped Git data, data transmission, memory usage, and active connections to troubleshoot issues effectively. Recently, Nodeload achieved a milestone by sending over 1GB of Git data in one minute, contributing to a daily throughput of about 70GB. The system's performance is visualized through Boundary graphs, and while there is curiosity about experimenting with other server languages and frameworks, the current setup with Node.js offers simplicity and the ability to focus on more pressing issues, reflecting the satisfaction with its performance and the utility of modern monitoring tools like StatsD and Graphite.

A GitHub drinkup event is being organized in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as a celebration following a Git class, aiming to bring together the Slovenian developer community. The event is open to anyone using or interested in Git or GitHub, offering an opportunity to discuss version control and social coding over a beer. It is scheduled for Thursday, March 22, 2012, with two sessions at different locations to accommodate developers from the main regions. Participants are encouraged to RSVP by emailing Matthew J. McCullough to confirm their attendance.

PHP's core source code has transitioned to using Git for version control and is now hosted on GitHub, following a team decision to adopt a distributed version control system where Git emerged as the preferred choice. David Soria Parra, the release manager for PHP 5.4, has developed a workflow to facilitate the merging of GitHub pull requests into the PHP codebase. The move to GitHub, driven by the platform's collaborative benefits, marks a significant shift for the 13-year-old php-src repository, which has accumulated over 80,000 commits. This transition invites new contributors to participate in the development process, reflecting an open and collaborative approach to PHP's ongoing evolution.

Recent updates have enhanced the management of OAuth applications, introducing an improved Applications settings section for both developers and users. This update provides visibility into both owned and authorized applications. Organizations can now own OAuth applications, which is beneficial for team-based application development, and existing apps can be transferred from user accounts to organizations via the application's detail page. These changes aim to foster the development of innovative applications in the future.

Anaïs Betts invites attendees to a social gathering at the Hop In Brew Pub in Calgary on Wednesday, March 14th, at 8 PM, coinciding with the PrairieDevCon conference. The event is open to everyone, regardless of their participation in the convention, offering an opportunity to enjoy a complimentary drink and engage in conversation. The unique aspect of the event is its setting in a house-like venue, adding a casual and inviting atmosphere for networking and discussions.

Cameron McEfee offers an insight into the octocreation process through a concise ten-minute video that showcases the making of the Codercat. This resource provides viewers with a quick glimpse into the creative methods involved, highlighting the steps and techniques used by McEfee in bringing the Codercat to life.

GitHub team members @atmos, @tanoku, and Matt Todd will host a social event in Rome, Italy, in conjunction with Codemotion. The gathering, referred to as a "drinkup," is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21st, at 9 PM at Freni E Frizioni, a venue that offers both indoor and outdoor spaces. This event provides an opportunity for attendees to socialize and connect with the GitHub hosts in a casual setting.

With the arrival of spring and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) happening, a special double event is planned for this month's drinkup, where attendees are invited to enjoy drinks at two neighboring bars, Eddie Rickenbacker's and Steff's Sports Bar, on Thursday, March 8th, starting at 8:00 PM. Both regular attendees and those visiting for the GDC are encouraged to join in the festivities at one or both locations, which are conveniently located on 2nd Street. The event is organized by Kami Richey, also known as @kamzilla, and promises to be a lively occasion for networking and socializing.

Confusion arose regarding a recent security vulnerability and GitHub's policy on responsible disclosure and account suspension, which prompted clarification. User @homakov initially reported a mass-assignment vulnerability and responsibly disclosed it, leading to a timely fix. However, he later exploited another vulnerability without prior disclosure, resulting in a temporary account suspension due to a violation of GitHub's Terms of Service. Following an investigation confirming no malicious intent, his account was reinstated. Acknowledging the need for clearer communication, GitHub has updated its Security policy to include a section on the Responsible Disclosure of Security Vulnerabilities, aiming to enhance clarity and collaboration for a safer development community, as expressed by Tom Preston-Werner.

A security vulnerability in GitHub's public key update form was exploited by a user at 8:49 am Pacific Time, allowing them to add a public key to the Rails organization and push a new file as a demonstration. Upon detection, GitHub immediately removed the unauthorized key, suspended the user, and rolled out a fix by 9:53 am, while launching an investigation into the attack's impact, revealing the compromise of three accounts. The vulnerability stemmed from a failure to correctly check incoming form parameters, known as the mass-assignment vulnerability. GitHub is conducting a comprehensive audit of its codebase to prevent similar issues, committing to enhanced security measures, including additional external audits, to ensure protection and accountability. Tom Preston-Werner apologized for the breach, emphasizing security as a top priority and assuring users that affected parties have been or will be notified.

GitHub for Mac 1.2, known as Snow Octocat, introduces significant improvements in stability and speed, with tests showing it to be considerably faster and less prone to crashes than its predecessor. This update features a complete redesign of the branch browser, allowing users to navigate between branches more efficiently using keyboard shortcuts and create new branches directly from the popover by typing the desired branch name. Developed with contributions from an expanded team, this release is part of a broader plan for further enhancements to the Mac app throughout the year.

GitHub is hosting a social gathering in London on Thursday, March 8th, starting at 7pm at the Big Chill House's Drawing Room, located at 257-259 Pentonville Road, King’s Cross. The event provides an opportunity for GitHub users to connect with each other and meet five GitHub team members, including Zach, Simon, Danny, Josh, and Roberto Tyley, who extends the invitation. Attendees can enjoy a drink courtesy of GitHub while mingling with fellow users in a relaxed setting.

GitHub is hosting a drink-up event at JC's Bar and Grill in Bend, Oregon on Friday, March 2nd at 8 PM, coinciding with the Ruby on Ales event. GitHub team members Brandon Keepers and Jonathan Hoyt invite attendees to join them for drinks and socializing.

Josh Peek and Zach Holman are in Stockholm, Sweden, for an event called Crash & Burn and are hosting a gathering for their friends at The Bishops Arms, a fine drinking establishment located at Vasagatan 7. The event is scheduled for Monday, March 5, at 20:00, and they are extending an invitation to join them for drinks.