opt.: use git submodule

[lollipopkit]

Include xterm / dartssh / fl_lib / fl_build directly.

[lollipopkit]

@coderabbitai pros and cons

[coderabbitai]

🧩 Analysis chain

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@lollipopkit Here's an analysis of using git submodules to include xterm, dartssh, fl_lib, and fl_build directly:

Pros

Development & Debugging:

• Direct access to source code makes debugging easier
• Can make immediate changes across dependencies without waiting for package updates
• Simplified workflow for developing multiple packages simultaneously
• Better IDE integration and code navigation across packages

Version Control:

• Lock dependencies to specific commits for reproducibility
• Avoid pub dependency resolution conflicts
• Full control over dependency versions and updates
• Can apply local patches or customizations easily

Build Process:

• No need to wait for packages to be published to pub.dev
• Faster iteration when developing features across multiple packages
• Single repository clone gets all dependencies

Cons

Complexity:

• Increases repository maintenance overhead
• Contributors must learn git submodule commands (git submodule update --init --recursive)
• Easy to forget updating submodules, leading to build issues
• More complex CI/CD setup required

Collaboration Issues:

• New contributors may struggle with submodule workflow
• Detached HEAD states in submodules can be confusing
• Risk of accidentally committing wrong submodule versions
• Harder to review changes that span multiple submodules

Tooling:

• Some Flutter/Dart tools may not work optimally with submodules
• IDE indexing may be slower with multiple packages
• Flutter pub commands may behave differently
• Potential issues with flutter packages get/upgrade

Maintenance:

• Must manually update each submodule
• Harder to track which versions of dependencies are compatible
• Increases repository size over time
• Breaking changes in submodules can affect the main project immediately

Alternative Consideration:
Using path dependencies in pubspec.yaml with separate git repositories might offer similar benefits with less complexity for contributors.