Topic: Future of SME

[PhilV]

Hi, I am just wondering what of the future for SME. I was about to implement an SME server at a company, but I am now not sure whether to proceed or not?

I understand that SME is bassed on the Redhat kernal, and that is now no longer open-source as such, so where does SME go from here. Will it be stuck with nowhere to go, and gradually become outdated, and therefore open to new security hacks etc.?

I am wondering if anyone else has wondered this, and if they have reviewed any other software package like SME. This is the first I have looked at, but would be interested to know what alternatives are out there, (for free!), that I could also look into, just to be sure that i have the best distro for this application.

Many thanks,

Phil

[cydonia]

Me too... I'm beginning to use SME more and more, but getting a bit wary now.

ClarkConnect offers similar features.  I love sme, but i wont stay with something that just gradually outdates itself and becomes obsolete.

[PhilV]

Anyone else got any comments?

[Jon_Reynolds]

I would think that with the SME server being open sourced that it will migrate to whatever OS will support it. Just because it is based on RH doesn't mean that it can't run easily on another Linux type OS. Maybe the best route to go would be to use LFS(LinuxFromScratch). I don't know, just speculating.

Jon

[Jon_Reynolds]

I would think that with the SME server being open sourced that it will migrate to whatever OS will support it. Just because it is based on RH doesn't mean that it can't run easily on another Linux type OS. Maybe the best route to go would be to use LFS(LinuxFromScratch). I don't know, just speculating.

Jon

[Anonymous]

Phil,
   I share your concerns about the longevity of SME based on old RH7 code.  I am equally concerned with the management of SME by contribs.org.  I realize that this is a big undertaking and I appreciate Jeff, Hsing and others efforts, but things appear not to be turning out well.  I am concerned because of the lack of mailing list activity, the recent outage, and unanswered concerns from the Mitel->contribs.org transition.  
   IMO, the following needs to happen to ensure SME longevity.

1) Move the bulk of SME to sorceforge or equivalent to save expenses.  This includes files, documentation, mailing lists, bug tracking, cvs, etc.

2) Move SME base from RH to Debian so security updates are less expensive and more reliable.

3) Setup a nonprofit org to fund #2 above and to define the SME distro goals and future direction in an open fashion.

Thanks,

Dale

[dalesyk]

Phil,
   The previous guest comment belongs to me.  I was logged out by accident when I posted it.

Dale

[bobk]

The following is my personal opinion and is in no way meant to belittle the efforts of the contribs.org staff and volunteers. Every one of them seems to be working very hard. However, I do feel that their efforts are being applied in the wrong direction.

Contribs.org took over the core distribution from Mitel in December 2003. Since that time there seems to have been no visible development work on the core distribution. Excepting the 'face-lift' release in March 2004. There is still no published development plan or even a general road map of future direction or development. It appears that all the available resources are being applied to produce and maintain a fancy web site. This web site appears to be directed at just what the name says "Contribs". There is very little real information available about the core distribution and the little info that is available is difficult to find and access. If I were a potential new user, I would be put off by the lack of easy to fine basic information about the distribution itself. Documentation of contributions seems to be progressing but there is an almost total lack of visible effort being placed on core distribution documentation.

I personally believe that the core distribution needs to be split off from contribs.org and set-up as a true open source development project. Contribs.org should continue in the direction its name implies and support add-on contributions to the core distribution. As an open source project, the core distribution should not be connected in any way to any other organization. It needs a dedicated group of volunteer lead and contributing developers that are not concerned with web site development and/or add-on contributions but concentrate solely on security and improvements to the core distribution. It needs a clearly defined and public Project Development Plan and accurate up to date user documentation.

I could go on and on but I think this expresses my basic opinion. Again, I am not trying to belittle the efforts that have and are currently being applied. However, without a solid, secure, up to date and progressing core distribution what need is there for add-on contributions.

[duncan]

bobk - I think that is one of the saner suggestions floating around here. Split the core off and contribs can do as they like with the rest.

[tape]

The future of SME is.. you!

Contribs.org or Sourceforge? It does no matter where SME will be hosted, and the guys from contribs.org never said anything different than they just try to help as much they can.

They also always told to be open for any help or suggestions, but what if there are none?

And, SME of course is Open Source, everyone can take the code and build his/her own distribution.

But, is complaining better than helping? Does complaining change things better/faster than just doing them?

I am no programmer (i am running a SME server in my intranet), and i am helping with some small amount of money. Just as i personally can do, nothing more or less.

Also i am here in this forum as a registered member, trying to answer questions or ask some if needed. This is how i am helping, what about you?

The future of SME is me.. and you. Nothing else! And evereyone in his own way!


best regards from South Germany
Anton Pirnat

[Anonymous]

I don't think that anyone here is trying to put the blame for the lacking development on the people behind contribs.org, if they are then shame on them.

When Mittel gave us all E-smith they also gave us a task we was not up fore. Before the project can move on we all have to agree on the goal. That alone can be a difficult task since there is just about as many opinions about the goals as there is members in this forum. When Mittel owned E-smith it was much easier. They decided what to do and when to do it.

So far all we have done is carring on the forums from e-smith.org. What we need to do is have an election about the future. After that we can make groups, which can take care of the development their subsection of SME.

In the mean time let us make sure we still have a forum to grow our beloved SME.

/Carsten

[lajgaard]

It's my post above. I was logout before I hit "submit".

[schrambo]

Firstly a plan for future development of SME needs to be created, as in what direction SME will take off. At the moment SME is standing lost in a desert without a compass or map. We need to take acton and decide on what the majority of the users want the future of SME to become and do it.

Personally I would love to see SME ditch the RedHat chassi and adopt either a slackware or debian framework just to name one of many changes I would personally make too SME. Sadly its only in my wildest dreams that I could do such things. I would very much love to help in the future developments of SME eithe it be testing, user suggestions and documentation.

SME could and should be adopted by its community. I think having the development of SME seperate to contribs.org as metoned by others would be a more ideal system, not having to rely on the contribs people to continue development of SME but maintence of the contribs aswell..

[gelcube]

It seems to me that the thing that brought most people to SME was it's ease-of-use and easy administration.  So a majority of SME users are just that...users like me.  Not programmers.  There should be a list of programmers who are willing and able to work on SME.  This list will become the "Core Team".  That team will be responsible for the official SME development.  Right now, there's no core team to work on and release new SME distributions.  

Of course, that means that some of our community are going to have to step up to the plate.  Who here can program well enough and are willing to work on the SME kernel?  And who wants to be responsible for the development roadmap?  Anyone?

[MSmith]

I've been using the e-smith distribution since version 4.1.2 for various things, and it's great.  Was great, is great, has a great future.  Except, of course, for the cold fact that development takes time, energy and programming skill.  Which are obviously present ... but in sufficient quantity?  Who knows?

When Mitel set the distro loose late last year, that represented an enormous challenge to anyone who might want to go forward with it.  I mean, put yourself in the new developers' shoes.  You have to familiarize yourself with a bazillion lines of source code, put a team together and *modify* this fancy piece of equipment ... taking into account the fact that it'll be routinely exposed to the harshest Internet environment ever known.  Hack attempts, worms, DOS ... so if you're the developers you feel this responsibility keenly.

Not only do you have to deal with outside threats ... you have to deal with Microsoft's changing the rules routinely so your Samba has to be up to date ... and you have to maintain backward compatibility with Mac OS 9 & 8 while supporting OS X ... and PHP and MySQL keep on advancing.  

Plus there's this user community ... all of whom (myself included) would love to see this or that feature but disavow any programming knowledge or time to do anything meaningful.  Add to that the constant parade of those who Just Don't Get It who want X added to a distribution from which it was deliberately removed ... it's enough to drive a person to drink.

So maybe it's time for the sunset of SME.  Either that, or some real traction in the direction of a nonprofit foundation to keep the code in trust while developers come & go.  I'm up for that, and would support it with $$$.

P.S. It WOULD be nice to see that moribund Sourceforge listing actually put to use ...

http://sourceforge.net/projects/e-smith/

Looks kinda sad that way.  It'd sure attract worldwide attention if it were up to date.

Then there's that ancient and decrepit Freshmeat listing:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/e-smithserverandgateway/