Introduction to Phabricator
Hi, so here's a quick introduction to Phabricator, which is the console software engineering platform. Uh, which is, as you might know, a collection of open web applications that you can use for development. We use it, uh, like many teams do, and here you can see different applications which might be in use. We'll go through it very quickly.
First of all, when you start, you probably received an email, um, which will call you to log in for the first time when you start working. Okay, let's say you're gonna be John Doe, and let's log in with John Doe, right? So, well, fix some kind of a password, well, we'll start. Okay, so here's what you can see here, uh, when you're logging in for the first time. So you probably can't see anything because if you log in for the first time, you don't really have access to a lot of information. You need to be affected by, um, our product manager, or assigned to a project, uh, then you can have access to different tasks, um, all the things.
But we still have a wiki which is open to anyone who logs in the first time, which will take you through basically different things which are quite important. And, um, you have here a menu which might not be, uh, what you need, uh, depending on your your your tasks. You can customize it here. And, um, on the 'Add Applications' section, we can look at the different applications, uh, in more detail so you're gonna be familiar with it very quickly.
Okay, if you want, let's say we'd like to get a project. We already have tasks. We already have, I don't know, let's say you're a designer and you need to use Pholio, right? Pholio is for reviewing mock-ups, etc. And you also would like to get your project first, which for my own use, why use Project and Task first, and then get my Wiki next. Differential (Diffs) and Diffusion are for code review, very useful. And Pholio, right? Um, that's it for now. So basically, that would get you through it. You can get there, you can also change your change your account, um, picture, edit profile pictures, and put whatever you feel like, using your profile picture. Okay, very simple, very straightforward. So now let's go through some key aspects of Phabricator.
About Phabricator
Phabricator is an integrated suite of open-source web applications designed to help software companies build software more effectively. It includes tools for code review, repository hosting, bug tracking, project management, communication, and more, all bundled into one platform. It aims to streamline the development workflow by providing necessary tools in a single environment.
Key Features
- Differential: Powerful peer code review tool.
- Diffusion: Hosts and browses Git, SVN, and Mercurial repositories.
- Maniphest: Flexible bug and issue tracker.
- Phriction: Wiki for documentation and collaboration.
- Projects: Workboard and project management tool.
- Pholio: Tool for reviewing and discussing design mockups.
- Conpherence: Real-time chat channels.
- Herald: Business rules engine for automating actions (e.g., triggering audits based on code changes).
Pros and Cons
- ✅ Comprehensive and integrated suite of development tools.
- ✅ Powerful code review (Differential) and repository browsing (Diffusion).
- ✅ Free and open-source, allowing for self-hosting and customization.
- ✅ Highly configurable to fit various workflows.
- ❌ Official development by Phacility ceased in May 2021.
- ❌ Can have a steep learning curve for new users and administrators.
- ❌ Requires self-hosting, demanding server resources and maintenance.
- ❌ Setup and configuration can be complex.
Use, Download, and Pricing
Phabricator was originally developed by Phacility and offered as a free, open-source, self-hosted platform. You needed your own server infrastructure to install and run it. While Phabricator itself is no longer actively maintained by its original creators since 2021, its open-source nature means the code is still available. For continued development and support, the community has created forks. Phorge is a notable community-maintained fork that continues the development of the platform. If you wish to use a system based on Phabricator, exploring Phorge is recommended.
