Sounds to me like you're using a too restrictive version management 
system. If you were using MC (which of course is not actually applicable 
to C code, without some serious extension work) you would be able to:
1. each manage your own versions as you like
2. allow other people to have branched repositories of their own, 
merging with the main platform maintainers at convenience.
3. If someone wants his tree to mean something different (head is 
development, head is last release, head is stable but with some new 
patches), they can do so with minimal work.
4. Having a lower barrier to entry, you might in a while have more 
people helping out with various platforms, and you don't have to work 
with them until they know enough to be useful.

So you need a distributed CVS. Arch? darcs? heck, maybe even SVN can 
handle this, I don't know. Anyway, just an idea.

Daniel

Andreas Raab wrote:
> Michael Rueger wrote:
> 
>> Andreas Raab schrieb:
>>
>>> Also, the set of maintainers has been working together in some form 
>>> or other for almost ten years now and you should at least consider 
>>> the possibility that there are reasons for why things are the way 
>>> they are. 
>>
>>
>> But, it also makes it incredibly hard for people outside that 
>> exclusive circle to participate. If you force people to use file 
>> releases instead of a shared repository there can be no meaningful 
>> community participation in the process.
> 
> 
> I do not force people to use anything. I tell them that "If you want a 
> build that is known to work, you should use a file release. If you are 
> up to a sometimes somewhat bumpy ride feel free to use the repository 
> directly."
> 
> For most people such a setup is vastly advantageous since they get a 
> version that's known to build and can put their development on top of 
> that. Which gives us the ability to diff and compare against a known 
> version, (hopefully) making it easier to integrate the changes.
> 
>> For instance, if people would like to explore the recently submitted 
>> alternate unix socket implementation they need to send around files 
>> instead of pointing people to branch XYZ of the repository.
> 
> 
> Commit rights for everyone? I don't think that'll happen.
> 
>> And, certain VM platform versions have lagged for months in the past 
>> as there are single person responsibilities.
> 
> 
> True for Windows at this point. So what do you propose to change?
> 
> Cheers,
>   - Andreas
>