Fossil

# Fossil As Blockchain

Fossil is a version control system built around blockchain.

Wikipedia defines "blockchain" as

>
  "a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using
   cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous
   block, a timestamp, and transaction data..." [(1)][]


By that definition, Fossil is clearly an implementation of blockchain.
The blocks are ["manifests" artifacts](./fileformat.wiki#manifest).
Each manifest has a SHA1 or SHA3 hash of its parent or parents,
a timestamp, and other tranactional data.  The repository grows by
add new manifests onto the list.

Some people have come to associate blockchain with cryptocurrency, however,
and since Fossil has nothing to do with cryptocurrency, the claim that
Fossil is build around blockchain results in confusion.  The key thing
to note here is that cryptocurrency implementations like BitCoin are
built around blockchain, but they are not synonymous with blockchain.
Blockchain is a much broader concept.  Blockchain is a mechanism for
constructed a distributed ledger of transactions.  You can use a distributed
ledger to implement a cryptocurrency, but you can also use a distributed
ledger to implement a version control system, and probably many other kinds
of applications as well.  Blockchain is a much broader idea than
cryptocurrency.

[(1)]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain

  aboutdownload.wiki {How The Download Page Works}
  adding_code.wiki {Adding New Features To Fossil}
  adding_code.wiki {Hacking Fossil}
  alerts.md {Email Alerts And Notifications}
  antibot.wiki {Defense against Spiders and Bots}
  backoffice.md {The "Backoffice" mechanism of Fossil}
  blame.wiki {The Annotate/Blame Algorithm Of Fossil}
  blockchain.md {Fossil As Blockchain}
  branching.wiki {Branching, Forking, Merging, and Tagging}
  bugtheory.wiki {Bug Tracking In Fossil}
  build.wiki {Compiling and Installing Fossil}
  changes.wiki {Fossil Changelog}
  checkin_names.wiki {Check-in And Version Names}
  checkin.wiki {Check-in Checklist}
  childprojects.wiki {Child Projects}

<li><a href="blame.wiki">Annotate/Blame Algorithm Of Fossil &mdash; The</a></li>
<li><a href="customskin.md">Appearance of Web Pages &mdash; Theming: Customizing The</a></li>
<li><a href="faq.wiki">Asked Questions &mdash; Frequently</a></li>
<li><a href="password.wiki">Authentication &mdash; Password Management And</a></li>
<li><a href="backoffice.md">Backoffice mechanism of Fossil &mdash; The</a></li>
<li><a href="whyusefossil.wiki"><b>Benefits Of Version Control</b></a></li>
<li><a href="hashpolicy.wiki">Between SHA1 and SHA3-256 &mdash; Hash Policy: Choosing</a></li>
<li><a href="blockchain.md">Blockchain &mdash; Fossil As</a></li>
<li><a href="antibot.wiki">Bots &mdash; Defense against Spiders and</a></li>
<li><a href="private.wiki">Branches &mdash; Creating, Syncing, and Deleting Private</a></li>
<li><a href="branching.wiki"><b>Branching, Forking, Merging, and Tagging</b></a></li>
<li><a href="bugtheory.wiki"><b>Bug Tracking In Fossil</b></a></li>
<li><a href="makefile.wiki">Build Process &mdash; The Fossil</a></li>
<li><a href="aboutcgi.wiki">CGI Works In Fossil &mdash; How</a></li>
<li><a href="changes.wiki">Changelog &mdash; Fossil</a></li>

<li><a href="unvers.wiki">Files &mdash; Unversioned</a></li>
<li><a href="branching.wiki">Forking, Merging, and Tagging &mdash; Branching,</a></li>
<li><a href="delta_format.wiki">Format &mdash; Fossil Delta</a></li>
<li><a href="fileformat.wiki">Format &mdash; Fossil File</a></li>
<li><a href="../../../md_rules">Formatting Rules &mdash; Markdown</a></li>
<li><a href="../../../wiki_rules">Formatting Rules &mdash; Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="forum.wiki">Forums &mdash; Fossil</a></li>
<li><a href="blockchain.md"><b>Fossil As Blockchain</b></a></li>
<li><a href="changes.wiki"><b>Fossil Changelog</b></a></li>
<li><a href="concepts.wiki"><b>Fossil Core Concepts</b></a></li>
<li><a href="delta_encoder_algorithm.wiki"><b>Fossil Delta Encoding Algorithm</b></a></li>
<li><a href="delta_format.wiki"><b>Fossil Delta Format</b></a></li>
<li><a href="fileformat.wiki"><b>Fossil File Format</b></a></li>
<li><a href="forum.wiki"><b>Fossil Forums</b></a></li>
<li><a href="quickstart.wiki"><b>Fossil Quick Start Guide</b></a></li>