Version management tools might be seen as a prerequisite for open source development today as projects become too large to be managed by maintainers alone. Yet the OS process depends on fluid coordination and collaboration, with the underlying qualities of this process based on firm trust and respect for fellow developers. This paper is a study of how debate over version tools reflects governance and decision making in an OS community. The paper is based on a study of the Linux kernel community as it first saw a partial acceptance of the CVS tool, and then later adopted BK. The paper explains the adoption processes in relation to governance concerns, licence issue, and questions of technical performance. 1.

We assume that open source communities or collectives are somewhat organized, we also assume that such collectives are capable of learning, and indeed do learn. However, it is far more difficult to say exactly where, when and how such learning occurs, or resulting (re-)organizing happens. Drawing on Clegg et al’s [1] concept of learning and becoming this paper seeks to show, through a case study of the Linux discussion around version control software, how learning and organizing occur. The paper discusses the Linux community’s engagement with BitKeeper and explains aspects of its adoption. In this we address version control software as not merely a collaborative, organizing vehicle but as a part of a generative duality.