Topic: Central Repository for contribs and updates?

[ngomes]

Hi all,

I wonder if there is some community interest to setup a central repository only for contributed add-ons and updates to the core SME Server distros (rpm packages, sources, fedora legacy updates, scripts, etc...)?

I know we have The Official Contribs Page organized by contributor but there are a lot of good stuff that are elsewhere on the internet and, in my opinion, the contributed packages should be organized like this.

What are your thoughts?

-Nuno

[guest22]

As always, all contributors are welcome to host their how-to/file/rpm on contribs.org. We advertised this for the last 1,5 years or so. an e-mail to staff@contribs.org, requesting hostingspace or contribs-area will do the trick.

[ngomes]

RequestedDeletion and all,

As always, all contributors are welcome to host their how-to/file/rpm on contribs.org. We advertised this for the last 1,5 years or so. an e-mail to staff@contribs.org, requesting hostingspace or contribs-area will do the trick.

I think all core and contrib developers know this. And this contrib-area has a tremendous value for the SME development and user community. But the present contrib-area does not solve some of the problems that admins face every day, like:

• Is there any contrib that adds this kind of functionality to the core SME Server?
• Does the contrib XPTO work (ie, was tested successfully) on SME Server 6.x or does it work only on SME Server 5.6?
• Where is the contrib XPTO that I read about somewhere in the forums?
• Where are the core and contribs updates?

Frequently the answer to these questions is a time consuming effort of “googling” and “searching the forums”. Besides that, the following “security” distros and apps have already their own central repository (mainly organized by distro version):

• Drupal
  
• Trustix
  
• ClarkConnect
  

Something like that would address some of the problems stated before and be easily rsync”ed” with other servers offered by the community for load balancing and redundancy.

-Nuno

[jcoleman]

Nuno,

I'm confused.  When I go to the links that you suggest, all I see is a dirrectory structure similar to ours.

What you want is should be done.  In fact, it makes a lot of sense and docteam started doing this in our wiki.

http://no.longer.valid/phpwiki/index.php?pagename=How-to%20Classification

The problem is the manpower and effort it takes to test,  classify and write up all of the info.  Since contribs.org is a completely volunteer effort we have no way of mandating that these pages are updated regularly or that all developers follow conventions that would make it easy for us to host their apps in an organized manner.

We're certainly open to suggestions as to how to overcome these issues.

-jeff

[ngomes]

Jeff, RequestedDeletion and all,

The How-to Classification is only the start point for Documentation (= weblinks, manuals, how-tos). I will split the Central Repository problem in two for better understanding:

• Central Repository for Documentation => The How-to Classification is the start point and you are right about “the manpower and effort it takes to test, classify and write up all of the info”. I will study the structure and see what I can do to help.
• Central Repository for Contribs and Updates => The main topic of this post.

About the last one I like pretty much the Drupal solution (see link above). We could do something like that:

• A http front-end organized by SME Server version (6.5, 6.0.x, 5.6) for better user navigation and descriptions of each contrib/module.
• In terms of file hierarchy it could be something like:

/smeserver-5.6
/smeserver-6.x

/smeserver-6.x/core
/smeserver-6.x/core/developer
/smeserver-6.x/core/fedoralegacy
/smeserver-6.x/core/incoming
/smeserver-6.x/core/iso
/smeserver-6.x/core/updates
/smeserver-6.x/core/rpms_current
/smeserver-6.x/core/rpms_old
/smeserver-6.x/core/sources_current
/smeserver-6.x/core/sources_old

/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/backupcc
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/backupcc/1.0.0
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/backupcc/1.1.0
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/clamav
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/spamassassin
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-tested/nameofcontrib

/smeserver-6.x/contribs-untested
/smeserver-6.x/contribs-untested/nameofcontrib

/smeserver-6.5
/smeserver-7.0

What are your opinions?

-Nuno

[guest22]

Nuno, thanks for your comments, much appreciated. If you are interested and can dedicate some time, please request a docteam subscribtion by mailing staff@contribs.org. Thanks!

[jcoleman]

Hi Nuno,

Seconding HF's cooment please do see about joining docteam.....

We have run through this in our heads before while discussing "certified" contribs.  Who does the testing?  Against what kind of test suite?  What does "tested" actually mean?  Tested by whom?  On what equipment?  In what environemnt?  Do "tested" contribs have to be built to certain standards and who sets the standards?  When a contrib works on more than one revision, where should it be stored in your directory structure?

The amount of work required to do this would be huge and require cooperation from dozens and dozens of people all over the world.

When an independent dev creates a contrib that isn't on contribs.org how does that work with the structure that you suggest?  As examples, Damien at pagefault.org or Jesper at swerts-knudsen both write lots of good contribs and howtos but choose to host on their own sites.

So what we have come to is a compromise.  We host what we can, point links at what else we know about, and provide forums to discuss and support them.  We're not negative about your suggestions, but we have to be practical about what is possible.

-jeff

[ngomes]

Jeff and RequestedDeletion,

I must agree with most of your view points. I already ask for a subscription to the docteam mailing list on 2005.01.20 on this link and I also had confirmed the subscription. Still I have no access to the mailing list.

Can you fix this?

-Nuno

[jcoleman]

Done!  

[ngomes]

Thx Jeff,

Here is my initial draft for further discussion at:

http://lists.contribs.org/mailman/public/docteam/msg00173.html

-Nuno