Main point for this are:
- Smaller application updates, users don't need to download several dozens of megabytes when only application was changed.
- More frequent content updates for all actual versions.
- Smaller repository size: 1.7 and 1.6.2 live in two different branches, so to update both we need duplicate files in both branches. In a separate repo we'll keep data only once.
- Potentionally better integration with other Celestia-related projects like Celestia Origin.
According with I created a new repository https://github.com/CelestiaProject/CelestiaContent. It contains copy of data, extras, extras-standard, images, models and textures directories. Since today we stop accepting content-related changes to the main repository.
We also looking for volunteers to maintain this new repository. The most important task from my PoV is to replace non-free files with files with free licenses (see here).