Editing GNU arch (section)

== Criticism ==
Perhaps the most common criticism of GNU arch is that it is difficult to learn, even for users who have experience with other [[Version control]] systems. In particular, GNU arch has a large number of commands, which can be intimidating for new users and some design elements arguably too strongly enforce Lord's taste in version control practices.<ref>{{cite web
 |last=Pool 
 |first=Martin 
 |url=http://sourcefrog.net/weblog/software/vc/arch/whats-wrong.html
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714202439/http://sourcefrog.net/weblog/software/vc/arch/whats-wrong.html
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=2012-07-14
 |date=2004-06-21 
 |access-date=2008-06-18 
 |title=What's wrong with Arch? 
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |last=Pool 
 |first=Martin 
 |url=http://sourcefrog.net/weblog/software/vc/arch/lord-interview.html
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713233855/http://sourcefrog.net/weblog/software/vc/arch/lord-interview.html
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=2012-07-13
 |date=2004-09-26 
 |access-date=2008-06-18 
 |title=Tom Lord interview, and related things 
 |quote=Earlier versions were very much bound into projects being run the way Tom wanted them: wierd &#91;sic&#93; file conventions, only committing from clean trees, and so on 
}}</ref>

Some also criticize GNU arch for using very unusual file naming conventions ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808210711/http://www.gnuarch.org/gnuarchwiki/FunkyFileNames |date=August 8, 2007 |title="FunkyFileNames" }}), which can create difficulties for using it in scripts, some [[Operating system shell|shell]]s, and in porting it to non-Unix operating systems. GNU arch has been criticised for having a slow running time as part of a design decision to lessen internal code complexity.<ref>{{cite web
|last=Weimer
|first=Florian
|title=Some Issues with GNU arch
|url=http://www.enyo.de/fw/software/arch/design-issues.html
|date=2004-06-09
|access-date=2008-06-18}}</ref>