X-Git-Url: https://projects.mako.cc/source/fspm_howto/blobdiff_plain/ec9b2cf542c7c2b959b872379f0f507c7cf397fc..e5a913447dcaa31c19506a92a1c281511f6c3e6b:/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml
diff --git a/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml b/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml
index 56a1ce2..d85158d 100644
--- a/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml
+++ b/FreeSoftwareDevelopmentHOWTO.sgml
@@ -6,73 +6,65 @@
Free Software Development HOWTO
-
+
- Benjamin
- Mako
- Hill
-
-
- mako@debian.org
-
-
-
+ Benjamin
+ Mako
+ Hill
+
+
+ mako@debian.org
+
+
-
-
-
- v0.01
- 1 January 2001
- bch
-
- Initial Release
-
-
-
+
+
+
+ v0.2
+ 8 April 2001
+ bch
+
+
+
+ v0.01
+ 27 March 2001
+ bch
+ Initial Release
+
+
-
- fswd
-
-
-
- This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
- and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
- the world of Free Software. This document is meant to act as a
- guide to the non-technical aspects of programming and was written
- to act as a crash course in the people skills that aren't taught
- to commercial coders but that can make or break a free software
- project.
-
+
+ fswd
+
+
+
+ This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
+ and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
+ the world of free software. This document is meant to act as a
+ guide to the non-technical aspects of free software development
+ and was written to be a crash course in the people skills that
+ aren't taught to commercial coders but that can make or break a
+ free software project.
+
-
+
- Introduction
-
-
- fswd!introduction
-
-
-
- For various reasons, this realease has been codenamed the
- homade yogurt release.
-
-
-
- New code names will appear as per industry standard
- guidelines to emphasize the state-of-the-art-ness of this
- document.
-
-
+ Introduction
+
+
+ fswd!introduction
+
+
- Skimming through Freshmeat provides mountains of reasons for this
+ Skimming through freshmeat.net provides mountains of reasons for this
HOWTO's existence--the Internet is littered with excellently
- written and useful programs that have faded away into the Universe
- of Free Software Forgottenness. This dismal scene made me ask
+ written and useful programs that have faded away into the universe
+ of free software forgottenness. This dismal scene made me ask
myself, "Why?"
@@ -80,10 +72,10 @@
This HOWTO tries to do a lot of thing (probably too many), but it
can't answer that question and won't attempt it. What this HOWTO
will attempt to do is give your Free Software project a fighting
- chance-an edge. If you write a piece of crap that no one is
- interested in, you can read this HOWTO until you recite it in your
- sleep and your project will probably fail. Then again, you can
- write a beautiful, relevent piece of software and follow every
+ chance--an edge. If you write a piece of crap that no one is
+ interested in, you can read this HOWTO until you can recite it in
+ your sleep and your project will probably fail. Then again, you can
+ write a beautiful, relevant piece of software and follow every
instruction in this HOWTO and your software may still not make
it. Sometimes life is like that. However, I'll go out a limb and
say that if you write a great, relevant pieces of software and
@@ -95,15 +87,11 @@
A lot of the information in this HOWTO is best called common
sense. Of course, as any debate on interfaces will prove, what is
common sense to some programmers proves totally unintuitive to
- others. After explaining bites and pieces of this HOWTO to Free
- Software developers on several occasions, I realized that that
- writing this HOWTO might provide a useful resource and a forum for
+ others. After explaining bits and pieces of this HOWTO to Free
+ Software developers on several occasions, I realized that writing
+ this HOWTO might provide a useful resource and a forum for
programmers to share ideas about what has and has not worked for
- them.
-
-
-
-
+ them.
@@ -118,21 +106,19 @@
Copyright Information
- This document is copyrighted (c) 2000 Stein Gjoen and is
+ This document is copyrighted (c) 2000 Benjamin (Mako) Hill and is
distributed under the terms of the Linux Documentation Project
- (LDP) license, stated below. Replace with your name,
- or supply a new license, when you use this skeleton for a new
- HOWTO.
+ (LDP) license, stated below.
- Unless otherwise stated, Linux HOWTO documents are
- copyrighted by their respective authors. Linux HOWTO documents may
- be reproduced and distributed in whole or in part, in any medium
- physical or electronic, as long as this copyright notice is
- retained on all copies. Commercial redistribution is allowed and
- encouraged; however, the author would like to be notified of any
- such distributions.
+ Unless otherwise stated, Linux HOWTO documents are copyrighted by
+ their respective authors. Linux HOWTO documents may be reproduced
+ and distributed in whole or in part, in any medium physical or
+ electronic, as long as this copyright notice is retained on all
+ copies. Commercial redistribution is allowed and encouraged;
+ however, the author would like to be notified of any such
+ distributions.
@@ -146,14 +132,14 @@
- In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this
- information through as many channels as possible. However, we do
- wish to retain copyright on the HOWTO documents, and would like to
- be notified of any plans to redistribute the HOWTOs.
+ In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this information
+ through as many channels as possible. However, we do wish to
+ retain copyright on the HOWTO documents, and would like to be
+ notified of any plans to redistribute the HOWTOs.
- If you have any questions, please contact
+ If you have any questions, please contact
linux-howto@metalab.unc.edu
@@ -165,11 +151,11 @@
No liability for the contents of this documents can be accepted.
- Use the concepts, examples and other content at your own risk.
- As this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors
- and inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system.
- Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely,
- the author(s) do not take any responsibility for that.
+ Use the concepts, examples and other content at your own risk. As
+ this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors and
+ inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system.
+ Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely, the
+ author(s) do not take any responsibility for that.
@@ -196,21 +182,21 @@
New Versions
- (your index root)!news on
+ fswd!news on
- This is the initial release. It is written to be released to
- developers for critique and brainstorming and submitted to
- Hampshire College for academic credit. Please keep in mind that
- this version of the HOWTO is still in an infant stage and will be
- revised extensively before it hits the LDP.
+ This is the second pre-release of this HOWTO. It is written to be
+ released to developers for critique and brainstorming and
+ submitted to Hampshire College for academic credit. Please keep in
+ mind that this version of the HOWTO is still in an infant stage
+ and will be revised extensively before it gets publicized widely.
- The latest version number of this document should always be listed
- at my webpage at
- http://people.debian.org/~mako/ Debian.
+ The latest version number of this document should always be listed
+ on the projects
+ homepage hosted by Debian.
@@ -220,35 +206,35 @@
+
- HTML.
+ HTML.
+
- plain text.
+ HTML (single page).
- compressed
- postscript (US letter format).
+ plain text.
- compressed
- postscript (Universal format / 8.27x11in; 210x279mm).
+ Compressed postscript.
- SGML source.
+ Compressed SGML source.
@@ -267,43 +253,48 @@
Karl Fogel, the author of Open
Source Development with CVS published by the Coriolis
- Open Press. Larges parts of the book are available on the web. 225 pages of
the book are available under the GPL and constitute the best
- tutorial on CVS I have ever seen. The rest of the book covers,
- "the challenges and philosophical issues inherent in running an
- Open Source project using CVS." The book does a good job of
- covering some of the subjects brought up in this HOWTO and much
+ tutorial on CVS I've ever seen. The rest of the book covers, "the
+ challenges and philosophical issues inherent in running an Open
+ Source project using CVS." The book does a good job of covering
+ some of the subjects brought up in this HOWTO and much
more. The book's
website has information on ordering the book and provides
- several translations of the chapters on CVS. I you are seriously
- interested in running a Free Software project, you want this book.
+ several translations of the chapters on CVS. If you are seriously
+ interested in running a Free Software project, you want this
+ book. I tried to mention Fogel in sections of this HOWTO where I
+ knew I was borrowing directly from his ideas. If I missed any, I'm
+ sorry. I'll try and have those fixed in future versions.
Karl Fogel can be reached at kfogel (at) red-bean (dot)
com
+
- Also providing support and material, and inspiration for this
- HOWTO is Eric S. Raymond for his prolific, consitent, and
- carefully crafted arguments, to Lawrence Lessig for reminding me
- of the importance of Free Software and to every user and developer
- involved with the Debian
- Project. The project has provided me with a home, a place
- to practice Free Software advocacy and to make a difference, a
- place to learn from those how have been involved with the movement
- much longer than I, and an proof of a Free Software project that
- definately, definately works.
+ Also providing support material, and inspiration for this HOWTO is
+ Eric S. Raymond for his prolific, consistent, and carefully
+ crafted arguments and Lawrence Lessig for reminding me of the
+ importance of Free Software. Additionaly, I want to thank every
+ user and developer involved with the Debian Project. The project
+ has provided me with a home, a place to practice free software
+ advocacy, a place to make a difference, a place to learn from
+ those how have been involved with the movement much longer than I,
+ and proof of a free software project that definitely, definitely
+ works.
Above all, I want to thank Richard Stallman
for his work at the Free Software Foundation and for never giving
- up. Stallman provided the philosphical basis that attracts me to
- Free Software and that drives me towards writing a document to
- make sure it succeeds. RMS can always be emailed at rms
- (at) gnu (dot) org.
+ up. Stallman provides and articulates the philosophical basis that
+ attracts me to free software and that drives me towards writing a
+ document to make sure it succeeds. RMS can always be emailed at
+ rms (at) gnu (dot) org.
@@ -314,14 +305,16 @@
Feedback
- Feedback is most certainly welcome for this document. Without your
- submissions and input, this document wouldn't exist. Something
- missing? Don't hesitate to contact me and to write a chapter. I
- want this document to be as much a product of the Free Software
- development process that it heralds and I think its ultimate
- success will be rooted in this fact. Please send your additions,
- comments and criticisms to the following email address :
- mako (at) debian (dot) org.
+ Feedback is always and most certainly welcome for this
+ document. Without your submissions and input, this document
+ wouldn't exist. Do you feel that something is missing? Don't
+ hesitate to contact me to have me write a chapter, section, or
+ subsection or to write one yourself. I want this document to be a
+ product of the Free Software development process that it heralds
+ and I believe that its ultimate success will be rooted in its
+ ability to do this. Please send your additions, comments, and
+ criticisms to the following email address:
+ mako@debian.org.
@@ -333,16 +326,16 @@
I know that not everyone speaks English. Translations are nice and
I'd love for this HOWTO to gain the kind of international reach
- afforded by a translated version.
+ afforded by translated versions.
+
However, this HOWTO is still young and I have to yet to be
- contacted about a translation so English is all that is
+ contacted about a translation so English is all that is currently
available. If you would like to help with or do a translation, you
will gain my utmost respect and admiration and you'll get to be
part of a cool process. If you are at all interested, please don't
- hesitate to contact me at: mako (at) debian (dot)
- org.
+ hesitate to contact me at: mako@debian.org.
@@ -357,1097 +350,2717 @@
fswd!starting
+
+ With very little argument, the beginning is the most difficult part
+ of successful free software development. Laying a firm foundation
+ will determine whether your project flourishes or withers away and
+ dies. It is also the subject that is of most immediate interest to
+ anyone reading this document as a tutorial.
+
+
+
+ Starting a project involves a dilemma that you as a developer must
+ try and deal with: no potential user for your program is interested
+ in a program that doesn't work while the development process that
+ you want to employ holds involvement of users as imperative.
+
+
+ It is in these dangerous initial moments that anyone working to
+ start a free software project must try and strike a balance along
+ these lines. One of the most important ways that someone trying to
+ start a project can work towards this balance is by establishing a
+ solid framework for the development process through some of the
+ suggestions mentioned in this section.
+ Choosing a Project
-
-
-
-
-
- Deciding on a License
-
-
-
-
-
- Choosing a Method of Version Numbering
-
-
-
-
-
- Documentation
-
-
-
-
-
- Other Presentation Issues
-
-
-
-
-
- Nuturing Future Development
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Developers
-
-
- fswd!developers
-
-
-
-
- Delegating Work
-
+
+ If you are reading this document, there's a good chance you
+ already have an idea for a project in mind. Chances are also
+ pretty good that it fills a percieved gap by doing something that
+ no other free software project does or by doing something in a way
+ that is unique enough to necessitate a brand new piece of
+ software.
+
-
+
+ Identify and articulate your idea
+
+ Eric S. Raymond writes about how free software projects start in
+ his essay, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, which
+ comes as required reading for any free software developer. It is
+ available online
+ .
+
-
- Stable and Development Branches
-
+
+ In The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Raymond tells us
+ that: every good work of software starts by scratching
+ a developers itch. Raymond's now widely accepted
+ hypothesis is that new free software programs are written, first
+ and foremost, to solve a specific problem facing the developer.
+
-
+
+ If you have an idea for a program in mind, chances are good that
+ it targets a specific problem or itch you want to
+ see scratched. This idea is the project.
+ Articulate it clearly. Write it out. Describe the problem you
+ will attack in detail. The success of your project in tackling a
+ particular problem will be tied to your ability to identify that
+ problem clearly early on. Find out exactly what it is that you
+ want your project to do.
+
-
- Freezing
-
+
+ Monty Manley articulates the importance of this initial step in
+ an essay, Managing
+ Projects the Open Source Way. As the next section
+ will show, there is a lot of work that needs
+ to be done before software is even ready to be coded. Manley
+ says, Beginning an OSS project properly means that a
+ developer must, first and foremost, avoid writing code too
+ soon!
+
+
-
+
+ Evaluate your idea
-
- Avoiding the Code Cram Effect
-
+
+ In evaluating your idea, you need to first ask yourself a few
+ questions. This should happen before you move any further
+ through this HOWTO. Ask yourself: Is the free software
+ development model really is the right one for your
+ project?
+
-
+
+ Obviously, since the program scratches your itch, you are
+ definitely interested in seeing it implemented in code. But,
+ because one hacker coding in solitude fails to qualify as a free
+ software development effort, you need to ask yourself a second
+ question: Is anybody else interested?
+
-
- Accepting and Rejecting Patches
-
-
+
+ Sometimes the answer is a simple no. If you want
+ to write a set of scripts to sort your
+ MP3 collection on your
+ machine, maybe the free software development
+ model is not the best one to choose. However, if you want to
+ write a set of scripts to sort anyone's
+ MP3s, a free software project might fill a
+ useful gap.
+
-
+
+ Luckily, The Internet is a place so big and so diverse that,
+ chances are, there is someone, somewhere, who shares your
+ interests and how feels the same itch. It is the
+ fact that there are so many people with so many similar needs and
+ desires that introduces the third major question: Has
+ somebody already had your idea or a reasonably similar
+ one?
+
-
- Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Users
+
+ Finding Similar Projects
-
- fswd!users
-
+
+ There are places you can go on the web to try and answer the
+ question above. If you have experience with the free software
+ community, you are probably already familiar with many of these
+ sites. All of the resources listed bellow offer searching of
+ their databases:
+
+
+
+
+ freshmeat.net
+
+ freshmeat.net
+ describes itself as, the Web's largest index of Linux
+ and Open Source software and its reputation along
+ these lines is totally unparalleled and unquestioned. If you
+ can't find it on freshmeat, its doubtful that you (or anyone
+ else) will find it at all.
+
+
+
+
+ Slashdot
+
+ Slashdot
+ provides News for Nerds: Stuff that Matters,
+ which usually includes discussion of free software, open
+ source, technology, and geek culture new and events. It is
+ not unusual for an particularly sexy development effort to be
+ announced here so it definitely worth checking.
+
+
+
+
+ SourceForge
+
+ SourceForge
+ houses and facilitates a growing number of open source and
+ free software projects. It is also quickly becoming a nexus
+ and an necessary stop for free software
+ developers. SourceForge's software
+ map and new
+ release pages should be necessary stops before
+ embarking on a new free software project. SourceForge also
+ provides a at Code Snippet
+ Library which contains useful reusable chunks of code
+ in an array of languages which can come in useful in any
+ project.
+
+
+
+
+ Google and Google's Linux Search
+
+ Google and
+ Google's Linux
+ Search, provide powerful web searches that may reveal
+ people working on similar projects. It is not a catalog of
+ software or news like freshmeat or Slashdot, but it is worth
+ checking to make sure you aren't pouring your effort into a
+ redundant project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+ Deciding to Proceed
+
+ Once you have successfully charted the terrain and have an idea
+ about what kinds of similar free software projects exist, every
+ developer needs to decide whether to proceed with their own
+ project. It is rare that a new project seeks to accomplish a
+ goal that is not at all similar or related to the goal of
+ another project. Anyone starting a new project needs to ask
+ themselves: Will the new project be duplicating work done
+ by another project? Will the new project be competing for
+ developers with an existing project? Can the goals of the new
+ project be accomplished by adding functionality to an existing
+ project?
+
-
- Announcing Your Project
-
+
+ If the answer to any of these questions is yes,
+ try to contact the developer of the existing project(s) in
+ question and see if he or she might be willing to collaborate
+ with you.
+
-
+
+ For many developers this may be the single most difficult aspect
+ of free software development but it is an essential one. It is
+ easy to become fired up by an idea and be caught up in the
+ momentum and excitement of a new project. It is often extremely
+ difficult to do but, it is important that any free software
+ developer remember that the best interests of the free software
+ community and the quickest way to accomplish your own project's
+ goals and the goals of similar projects can often be
+ accomplished by not starting a new
+ development effort.
+
-
- Testing and Testers
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
- Samples
-
-
- This section gives some simple SGML examples you could
- use. Read the SGML source to see how it was done.
-
-
- Further information and examples can be obtained from the publication
- DocBook: The Definitive
- Guide. Written by Norman Walsh
- and Leonard Muellner; 1st Edition, October 1999.
-
-
-
+
-
- Lists
+
+ Naming your project
- Lists are used frequently, and are available in a number
- of formats shown below.
+ While there are plenty of projects that fail with descriptive
+ names and plenty that succeed without them, I think naming your
+ project is worth giving a bit of thought. Leslie Orchard tackles
+ this issue in an Advogato
+ article. His article is short and definately worth looking
+ over quickly.
- A list in which each entry is marked with a bullet or other dingbat:
+ The synopsis is that Orchard recommends you pick a name where,
+ after hearing the name, many users or developers will both:
-
- Apples
+ Know what the project does.
-
-
- Oranges
-
-
- Bananas
+ Remember it tomorrow.
-
- A list in which each entry is composed of a set of one or more
- terms and an associated description:
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Fruits
-
- such as apples, oranges, and more.
-
-
-
-
- Nuts
-
- Don't eat too many; you are what you eat.
-
-
-
-
- Vegetables
-
- Potatos are spelled with care.
-
-
-
-
+ Humorously, Orchard's project, Iajitsu, does
+ neither. It is probably unrelated that development has effectively
+ frozen since the article was written.
- A list in which each entry is marked with a sequentially
- incremented label:
+ He makes a good point though. There are companies whose only job
+ is to make names for pieces of software. They make
+ ridiculous amount of money doing it and are
+ supposedly worth it. While you probably can't aford a company like
+ this, you can afford to learn from their existance and think a
+ little bit about the name you are giving your project because it
+ does matter.
-
-
-
- Step one
-
-
-
- Step two
-
-
-
+ If there is a name you really want but it doesn't fit Orchard's
+ criteria, you can still go ahead. I thought gnubile
+ was one of the best I'd heard for a free software project ever and
+ I still talk about it long after I've stopped using the
+ program. However, if you can flexible on the subject, listen to
+ Orchard's advice. It might help you.
-
-
-
- Links
+
+
+ Licensing your Software
+
- Links can be used within your documents to refer to
- different sections and chapters or to refer to documents external
- to yours.
+ On one (somewhat simplistic) level, the difference between a piece
+ of free software and a piece of propriety software is the
+ license. A license helps you as the developer by protecting your
+ legal rights to have your software distributed under your terms
+ and helps demonstrate to those who wish to help you or your
+ project that they are encouraged to join.
+
+
+ Choosing a license
-
- Internal links
+
+ Any discussion of licenses is also sure to generate at least a
+ small flame war as there are strong feelings that some free
+ software licenses are better than others. This discussion also
+ brings up the question of Open Source Software and
+ the debate over the terms Open Source Software and
+ Free Software. However, because I've written the
+ Free Software Development HOWTO and not the Open Source
+ Development HOWTO, my own allegiances in this argument are in the
+ open.
+
- Click on the link to jump to the top of
- this chapter. Note the anchor at the section tag.
+ In attempting to reach a middle ground through diplomacy without
+ sacrificing my own philosophy, I will recommend picking any
+ license that conforms to the Debian Free Software
+ Guidelines. Originally compiled by the Debian project
+ under Bruce Perens, the DFSG forms the first
+ version of the Open
+ Source Definition. Examples of free licenses given by the
+ DFSG are the GPL, the
+ BSD, and the Artistic License.
-
-
- External links
+
+ Conforming to the definition of free software offered by Richard
+ Stallman in The Free
+ Software Definition, any of these licenses will
+ uphold, users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study,
+ change and improve the software. There are plenty of
+ other licenses that also conform to the DFSG
+ but sticking with a more well-known license will offer the advantage
+ of immediate recognition and understanding.
+
- Click on this link
- to jump to the LDP site. Note you can use http, ftp, news and
- other protocols in the locator if required.
+ In attempting a more in-depth analysis, I agree with Karl Fogel's
+ description of licenses as falling into two groups: those that
+ are the GPL and those that are not the
+ GPL.
-
-
+
+ Personally, I license all my software under the
+ GPL. Created and protected by the Free
+ Software Foundation and the GNU Project, the
+ GPL is the license for the Linux kernel,
+ GNOME, Emacs, and the vast majority of GNU/Linux software. It's
+ the obvious choice but I believe it is a good one. Any BSD
+ fanatic will urge you to remember that there is a viral aspect to
+ the GPL that prevents the mixture of
+ GPL'ed code with non-GPL'ed
+ code. To many people (myself included), this is a benefit, but to
+ some, it is a major drawback.
+
-
+
+ The three major licenses can be found at the following locations:
+
-
- Images
+
+
+
+ The GNU
+ General Public License
+
+
+ The
+ BSD License
+
+
+ The Artistic
+ License
+
+
+
-
- Avoid diagrams if possible as this cannot be rendered
- in the ASCII outputs which are still needed by many around the
- world.
-
+
+ In any case, please read through any license before
+ your release your software under it. As the primary developer,
+ you can't afford any license surprises.
+
+
-
-
- Graphics Test Image
-
-
-
+
+ The mechanics of licensing
-
- Here is another variation which allows for ALT text:
-
+
+ The text of the GPL offers a good
+ description of mechanics of applying a license to a piece
+ of software. My quick checklist for applying a license includes:
+
-
-
+
+
+
+
+ If at all possible, attach and distribute a full copy of
+ the license with the source and binary by including a separate
+ file.
+
-
-
-
+
+ At the top of each source file in your program, attach a
+ notice of copyright and include information on where the full
+ license can be found. The GPL recommends
+ that each file begin with:
+
+
+one line to give the program's name and an idea of what it does.
+Copyright (C) yyyy name of author
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+
-
-
- ALT text to be used: Green Ball
-
-
+
+ The GPL goes on to recommend attaching
+ information on methods for contacting you (the author) via
+ email or physical mail.
+
+
-
+
- Caption for the graphic goes here: This is a Green Ball.
+ The GPL continues and suggests that if your
+ program runs in an interactive mode, you should write the
+ program to output a notice each time it enters interactive
+ mode that includes a message like this one that points to full
+ information about the programs license:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+
+Gnomovision version 69, Copyright (C) year name of author
+Gnomovision comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details
+type `show w'. This is free software, and you are welcome
+to redistribute it under certain conditions; type `show c'
+for details.
+
+
+
+ Finally, it might be helpful to include a
+ copyright disclaimer from an employer or a
+ school if you work as a programmer or if it seems like your
+ employer or school might be able to make an argument for
+ ownership of your code later on. These aren't often needed but
+ there are plenty of free software developers who have gotten
+ into trouble and wish they'd asked for one.
+
-
+
+
+
-
- Structure
+
+ Final license warning
-
- A quick overview on how all parts fit together in the overall
- structure. An example from the Multi Disk HOWTO is used.
-
+
+ Please, please, please, place your software under
+ some license. It may not seem important, and
+ to you it may not be, but licenses are
+ important. For a piece of software to be included in the Debian
+ GNU/Linux distribution, it must have a license that fits the
+ Debian Free
+ Software Guidelines. If your software has no license, it
+ can not be distributed as a package in Debian until you
+ re-release it under a free license. Please save yourself and
+ others trouble by releasing the first version of your software
+ with a clear license.
+
-
- As this type of document is supposed to be as much for learning as
- a technical reference document I have rearranged the structure to
- this end. For the designer of a system it is more useful to have
- the information presented in terms of the goals of this exercise
- than from the point of view of the logical layer structure of the
- devices themselves. Nevertheless this document would not be
- complete without such a layer structure the computer field is so
- full of, so I will include it here as an introduction to how it
- works.
-
+
-
+
-
- Logical structure
+
-
- disk!structure, I/O subsystem
-
+
+ Choosing a Method of Version Numbering
- This is based on how each layer access each other, traditionally
- with the application on top and the physical layer on the bottom.
- It is quite useful to show the interrelationship between each of
- the layers used in controlling drives.
-
-
- ___________________________________________________________
- |__ File structure ( /usr /tmp etc) __|
- |__ File system (ext2fs, vfat etc) __|
- |__ Volume management (AFS) __|
- |__ RAID, concatenation (md) __|
- |__ Device driver (SCSI, IDE etc) __|
- |__ Controller (chip, card) __|
- |__ Connection (cable, network) __|
- |__ Drive (magnetic, optical etc) __|
- -----------------------------------------------------------
-
+ The most important thing about a system of version
+ numbering is that there is one. It may seem pedantic to
+ emphasize this point but you'd be surprised at the number of
+ scripts and small programs that pop up without any version number
+ at all.
- In the above diagram both volume management and RAID and
- concatenation are optional layers. The 3 lower layers are in
- hardware. All parts are discussed at length later on in this
- document.
+ The second most important thing about a system of
+ numbering is that the numbers always go up. Automatic
+ version tracking systems and people's sense of order in the
+ universe will fall apart if version numbers don't rise. It doesn't
+ really matter if 2.1 is a big jump and
+ 2.0.005 is a small jump but it does matter that 2.1 is more recent
+ than 2.0.005.
-
-
-
-
-
- Document structure
- Most users start out with a given set of hardware and some plans
- on what they wish to achieve and how big the system should be.
- This is the point of view I will adopt in this document in
- presenting the material, starting out with hardware, continuing
- with design constraints before detailing the design strategy that
- I have found to work well. I have used this both for my own
- personal computer at home, a multi purpose server at work and
- found it worked quite well. In addition my Japanese co-worker in
- this project have applied the same strategy on a server in an
- academic setting with similar success.
+ Follow these two simple rules and you will not go (too)
+ wrong. Beyond this, the most common technique seems to be the
+ major level,minor level,
+ patch level version numbering scheme. Whether you
+ are familiar with the name or not, you interact with it all the
+ time. The first number is the major number and it signifies major
+ changes or rewrites. The second number is the minor number and it
+ represents added or tweaked functionality on top of a largely
+ coherant structure. The third number is the patch number and it
+ usually will only refer to releases fixing bugs.
- Finally at the end I have detailed some configuration tables for
- use in your own design. If you have any comments regarding this
- or notes from your own design work I would like to hear from you
- so this document can be upgraded.
+ The widespread use of this scheme is why I know the nature and
+ relative degree in the differences between a 2.4.12 release of the
+ Linux kernel and a 2.4.11, 2.2.12, and 1.2.12 without knowning
+ anything about any of the releases.
-
-
-
-
-
- Reading plan
- As you go beyond 50 pages or so there will be a lot of
- text that experts and even the experienced do not need to read.
- Keeping in mind that we wish to care for all kinds of people in
- the Linux world we might have to make a reading plan. Again,
- an example follows from the Multi Disk HOWTO.
+ You can bend or break these rules, and people do. But beware, if
+ you choose to, someone will get annoyed, assume you don't know,
+ and try and educate you, probably not nicely. I always follow this
+ method and I implore you to do so as well.
-
+
- Although not the biggest HOWTO it is nevertheless rather big
- already and I have been requested to make a reading plan to make
- it possible to cut down on the volume.
+ There are several version numbering systems that are well known,
+ useful, and that might be worth looking into before you release
+ your first version.
-
-
-
-
- Expert
-
-
- (aka the elite). If you are familiar with Linux as well as
- disk drive technologies you will find most of what you need in
- the appendices. Additionally you are recommended to read the
- FAQ and the chapter.
-
-
-
+
+
+ Linux kernel version numbering:
+
+ The Linux kernel uses a versioning system where any odd
+ minor version number refers to an development or testing release
+ and any even minor version number refers to a stable
+ version. Think about it for a second. Under this system, 2.1 and
+ 2.3 kernels were and always will be development or testing
+ kernels and 2.0, 2.2. and 2.4 kernels are all production code
+ with a higher degree of stability and more testing.
+
-
- Experienced
-
-
- (aka Competent). If you are familiar with computers in
- general you can go straight to the chapters on
- and continue from there on.
-
-
-
+
+ Whether you plan on having a split development model (as
+ described in ) or only one version
+ released at a time, my experience with several free software
+ projects and with the Debian project has taught me that use of
+ Linux's version numbering system is worth taking into
+ consideration. In Debian, all minor
+ versions are stable distributions (2.0, 2.1, etc). However,
+ many people assume that 2.1 is an unstable or development
+ version and continue to use an older version until they get so
+ frustrated with the lack of development progress that they
+ complain and figure the system out. If you never release an odd
+ minor version but only release even ones, nobody is hurt, and
+ less people are confused. It's an idea worth taking into
+ consideration.
+
+
+
-
- Newbie
-
-
- (mostly harmless). You just have to read the whole thing.
- Sorry. In addition you are also recommended to read all the
- other disk related HOWTOs.
-
-
-
+
+ Wine version numbering:
+
+ Because of the unusual nature of wine's development where
+ the not-emulator is constantly improving but not working towards
+ any immediately achievable goal, wine is released every three
+ weeks. Wine does this by labeling their releases in Year
+ Month Day format where each release might be labeled
+ wine-XXXXXXXX where the version from January 04,
+ 2000 would be wine-20000104. For certain
+ projects, Year Month Day format can make a lot of
+ sense.
+
+
+
-
-
-
+
+ Mozilla milestones:
+
+ When one considers Netscape 6 and vendor versions, the
+ mozilla's project development structure is one of the most
+ complex free software models available. The project's version
+ numbering has reflected the unique situation in which it is
+ developed.
+
-
+
+ Mozilla's version numbering structure has historically been
+ made up of milestones. From the beginning of the mozilla
+ project, the goals of the project in the order and degree to
+ which they were to be achieved were charted out on a series of
+ road
+ maps. Major points and achievements along these
+ road-maps were marked as milestones. Therefore, although
+ mozilla was built and distributed nightly as nightly
+ builds, on a day when the goals of a milestone on the
+ road-map had been reached, that particular build was marked as
+ a milestone release.
+
-
+
+ While I haven't seen this method employed in any other projects
+ to date, I like the idea and think that it might have value in
+ any testing or development branch of a large application under
+ heavy development.
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
-
- Technologies
+
+ Documentation
-
- (your index root)!technologies
-
+
+ A huge number of otherwise fantastic free software applications
+ have withered and died because their author was the only person
+ who knew how to use them fully. Even if your program is written
+ primarily for a techno-savvy group of users, documentation is
+ helpful and even necessary for the survival of your project. You
+ will learn later in that you should
+ always release something that is usable. A piece of
+ software without documentation is not usable.
+
-
- Introduction of technology for the newbie with a few
- references to detailed works. Remember that not everyone has
- Internet access so you have to explain in sufficient details so
- even the newbie can get by.
-
+
+ There are lots of different people you should document for and
+ there are lots of ways to document your project. The
+ importance of documentation in source code to help facilitate
+ development by a large community is vital but it falls
+ outside the scope of this HOWTO. This being the case, this section
+ deals with useful tactics for user-directed documentation.
+
-
+
+ A combination of tradition and necessity has resulted in a
+ semi-regular system of documentation in most free software
+ projects that is worth following. Both users and developers expect
+ to be able to get documentation in several ways and it's essential
+ that you provide the information they are seeking in a form they
+ can read if your project is ever going to get off the
+ ground. People have come to expect:
+
-
+
+ Man pages
+ Your users will want to be able to type man
+ yourprojectname end up with a nicely formatted man page
+ highlighting the basic use of your application. Make sure that
+ before you release your program, you've planned for this.
+
-
+
+ Man pages are not difficult to write. There is excellent
+ documentation on the man page writing process available through
+ the The Linux Man-Page-HOWTO which is available
+ through the Linux Documentation project (LDP)
+ and is written by Jens Schweikhardt. It is available from
+ Schweikhardt's site or from the
+ LDP.
+
-
- Implementation
+
+ It is also possible to write man pages using DocBook
+ SGML. Because man pages are so simple and the DocBook method
+ relatively new, I have not been able to follow this up but would
+ love help from anyone who can give me more information on how
+ exactly how this is done.
+
+
-
- (your index root)!implementation
-
+
+ Command line accessible documentation
-
- Now your readers should have a sufficient knowledge of
- what this is about and now we come to the hands on of implementing
- your clever scheme.
-
+
+ Most users will expect some basic amount of documentation to be
+ easily available from the command line. For few programs should
+ this type of documentation extend for more than one screen (24 or
+ 25 lines) but it should cover the basic usage, a brief (one or
+ two sentence) description of the program, a list of the commands
+ with explanations, as well as all the major options (also with
+ explanations), plus a pointer to more in-depth documentation for
+ those who need it. The command line documentation for Debian's
+ apt-get serves as an excellent example and a useful model:
+
-
+
+apt 0.3.19 for i386 compiled on May 12 2000 21:17:27
+Usage: apt-get [options] command
+ apt-get [options] install pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
+
+apt-get is a simple command line interface for downloading and
+installing packages. The most frequently used commands are update
+and install.
+
+Commands:
+ update - Retrieve new lists of packages
+ upgrade - Perform an upgrade
+ install - Install new packages (pkg is libc6 not libc6.deb)
+ remove - Remove packages
+ source - Download source archives
+ dist-upgrade - Distribution upgrade, see apt-get(8)
+ dselect-upgrade - Follow dselect selections
+ clean - Erase downloaded archive files
+ autoclean - Erase old downloaded archive files
+ check - Verify that there are no broken dependencies
+
+Options:
+ -h This help text.
+ -q Loggable output - no progress indicator
+ -qq No output except for errors
+ -d Download only - do NOT install or unpack archives
+ -s No-act. Perform ordering simulation
+ -y Assume Yes to all queries and do not prompt
+ -f Attempt to continue if the integrity check fails
+ -m Attempt to continue if archives are unlocatable
+ -u Show a list of upgraded packages as well
+ -b Build the source package after fetching it
+ -c=? Read this configuration file
+ -o=? Set an arbitary configuration option, eg -o dir::cache=/tmp
+See the apt-get(8), sources.list(5) and apt.conf(5) manual
+pages for more information and options.
+
-
+
+ It has become a GNU convention to make this type of information
+ accessible with the -h and the
+ --help options. Most GNU/Linux users will expect
+ to be able to retrieve basic documentation these ways so if you
+ choose to use different methods, be prepared for the flames and
+ fallout that may result.
+
+
+
+ Files users will expect
+
+ In addition to man pages and command-line help, there are certain
+ files where people will look for documentation, especially in any
+ package containing source code. In a source distribution, most of
+ these files can be stored in a the root directory of the source
+ distribution or in a subdirectory of the root called
+ doc or Documentation. Common files
+ in these places include:
+
-
+
+
+
+ README or Readme
+
+
+ A document containing all the basic installation,
+ compilation, and even basic use instructions that make up the
+ bare minimum information needed to get the program up and
+ running. A README is not your chance to be verbose but should
+ be concise and effective. An ideal README is at least 30 lines
+ long and more no more than 250.
+
+
+
+
+ INSTALL or Install
+
+
+ The INSTALL file should be much shorter than the README
+ file and should quickly and concisely describe how to build
+ and install the program. Usually an INSTALL file simply
+ instructs the user to run ./configure; make; make
+ install and touches on any unusual options or actions
+ that may be necessary. For most relatively standard install
+ procedures and for most programs, INSTALL files are as short
+ as possible are rarely over 100 lines.
+
+
+
+
+ CHANGELOG, Changelog, ChangeLog, or changelog
+
+
+ A CHANGELOG is a simple file that every well-managed
+ free software project should include. A CHANGELOG is simple
+ the file that, as its name implies, logs or documents the
+ changes you make to your program. The most simple way to
+ maintain a CHANGELOG is to simply keep a file with the source
+ code for your program and add a section to the top of the
+ CHANGELOG with each release describing what has been, changed,
+ fixed, or added to the program. It's a good idea to post the
+ CHANGELOG onto the website as well because it can help people
+ decide whether they want or need to upgrade to a newer version
+ or wait for a more significant improvement.
+
+
+
+
+ NEWS
+
+
+ A NEWS file and a ChangeLog are similar. Unlike a
+ CHANGELOG, a NEWS file is not typically updated with new
+ versions. Whenever new features are added, the developer
+ responisble will make a note in the NEWS file. NEWS files
+ should not have to be changed before a release (they should be
+ kept up to date all along) but it's usually a good idea to
+ check first anyway because often developers just forget to
+ keep them as current as they should.
+
+
+
+
+ FAQ
+
+
+ For those of you that don't already know,
+ FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions
+ and a FAQ is a collection of exactly that. FAQs are not
+ difficult to make. Simply make a policy that if you are asked
+ a question or see a question on a mailing list two or more
+ times, add the question (and its answer) to your FAQ. FAQs are
+ more optional than the files listed above but they can save
+ your time, increase usability, and decrease headaches on all
+ sides.
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
- Maintenance
+
+ Website
+
+ It's only indirectly an issue of documentation but a good website
+ is quickly becoming an essential part of any free software
+ project. Your website should provide access to your documentation
+ (in HTML if possible). It should also include
+ a section for news and events around your program and a section
+ that details the process of getting involved with development or
+ testing and make an open invitation. It should also supply links
+ to any mailing lists, similar websites, and provide a direct link
+ to all the available ways of downloading your software.
+
+
-
- (your index root)!maintenance
-
+
+ Other documentation hints
-
- Few systems and designs are maintenance free, here you
- explain how to keep the system running.
-
+
+ All your documentation should be in plaintext, or, in cases where
+ it is on your website primarily, in HTML. Everyone can cat a
+ file, everyone has a pager, (almost) everyone can render
+ HTML. You are welcome to distribute information in PDF,
+ PostScript, RTF, or any number of other widely used formats but
+ this information must also be available in plaintext or HTML or
+ people will be very angry at you.
+
-
+
+ It doesn't hurt to distribute any documentation for your program
+ from your website (FAQs etc) with your program. Don't hesitate
+ throw any of this in the program's tarball. If people don't need
+ it, they will delete it. I can repeat it over and over:
+ Too much documentation is not a sin.
+
+
+
-
+
+
+ Other Presentation Issues
+
+ Many of the remaining issues surrounding the creation of a new
+ free software program fall under what most people describe as
+ common sense issues. Its often said that software engineering is
+ 90 percent common sense combined with 10 percent specialized
+ knowledge. Still, they are worth noting briefly in hopes that they
+ may remind a developer of something they may have forgotten.
+
-
+
+ Package formats
+
+ Package formats may differ depending on the system you are
+ developing for. For windows based software, Zip archives (.zip)
+ usually serve as the package format of choice. If you are
+ developing for GNU/Linux, *BSD, or any UN*X, make sure that your
+ source code is always available in tar'ed and gzip'ed format
+ (.tar.gz). UNIX compress (.Z) has gone out of style and
+ usefulness and faster computers have brought bzip2 (.bz2) into
+ the spot-light as a more effective compression medium. I now make
+ all my releases available in both gzip'ed and bzip2'ed tarballs.
+
-
- Advanced Issues
+
+ Binary packages should always be distribution specific. If you
+ can build binary packages against a current version of a major
+ distribution, you will only make your users happy. Try to foster
+ relationships with users or developers of large distributiosn to
+ develop a system for the consistent creation of binary
+ packages. It's often a good idea to provide RedHat
+ RPM's (.rpm), Debian deb's (.deb) and source
+ RPM's SRPM's if
+ possible. Remember: While these binaries packages are
+ nice, getting the source packaged and released should always be
+ your priority. Your users or fellow developers can and will do
+ the the binary packages for you.
+
+
-
- (your index root)!advanced topics
-
+
+ Version control systems
-
- You can get most things up and running in a quick and
- dirty fashion, useful for testing and getting used to how things
- work. For more serious use you would need to be a little more
- advanced. This is the place to explain it all, if applicable.
-
+
+ A version control system can make a lot of these problems of
+ packaging (and a lot of other problems mentioned in this HOWTO)
+ less problematic. If you are using *NIX, CVS is your best bet. I
+ recommend Karl Fogel's book on the subject (and the posted HTML version)
+ wholeheartedly.
+
-
+
+ CVS or not, you should probably invest some time into learning
+ about a version control system because it provides an automated
+ way of solving many of the problems described by this HOWTO. I
+ am not aware of any free version control systems for Windows or
+ MacOS but I know that CVS clients exist for both
+ platforms. Websites like SourceForge do a great job
+ as well with a nice, easy-to-use web interface to CVS.
+
-
+
+ I'd love to devote more space in this HOWTO to CVS because I love
+ it (I even use CVS to keep versions straight on this HOWTO!) but
+ I think it falls outside the scope of this document and should
+ (already has) its own HOWTO.
+
+
-
+
+ Useful tidbits and presentation hints
-
- Further Information
+
+ Other useful hints include:
+
-
- (your index root)!information resources
-
+
+
-
- A HOWTO cannot describe everything, some times the user
- has to venture out on th enet to get more information or just
- updates. Here is the place to tell where and how. Again examples
- from the Multi Disk HOWTO, replace as needed. There is wealth
- of information one should go through when setting up a major system,
- for instance for a news or general Internet service provider. The
- FAQs in the following groups are useful:
-
+
+
+ Make sure that your program can always be found in a
+ single location. Often this means that you have a
+ single directory accessible via FTP or the
+ web where the newest version can be quickly recognized. One
+ effective technique is a provide a symlink called
+ yourprojectname-latest that is always pointing
+ to the most recent released or development version of your
+ free software application. Keep in mind that this location
+ will recieve many requests for downloads around releases so
+ make sure that the server you choose has adequate bandwidth.
+
+
-
+
+
+ Make sure that there is a consistent email address
+ for bug reports. It's usually a good idea to make
+ this something that is NOT your primary email address like
+ yourprojectname@host or yourprojectname-bugs@host. This way,
+ if you ever decide to hand over maintainership or if your
+ email address changes, you simply need to change where this
+ email address forwards. It also will allow for more than one
+ person to deal with the influx of mail that is created if your
+ project becomes as huge as you hope it will.
+
+
-
- News groups
+
+
+
+
+
-
- disk!information resources!news groups
-
+
- Some of the most interesting news groups are:
+
-
+
+ Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Developers
+
+ fswd!developers
+
-
-
- Storage.
-
-
+
+ Once you have gotten your project started, you have overcome the
+ most difficult hurdles in the development process of your
+ program. Laying a firm foundation is essential, but the development
+ process itself is equally important and provides just as many
+ opportunities for failure. In the next two sections, I will
+ describe running a project by discussing how to maintain a
+ development effort through interactions with developers and with
+ users.
+
-
-
- PC storage.
-
-
+
+ In releasing your program, your program becomes free software. This
+ transition is more than just a larger user base. By releasing your
+ program as free software, your software
+ becomes the free software community's
+ software. The direction of your software's development will be
+ reshaped, redirected, and fully determined by your users and, to a
+ larger extent, by other developers in the community.
+
-
-
- AFS.
-
-
+
+ The major difference between free software development and
+ propriety software development is the developer base. As the leader
+ of a free software project, you need to attract and keep developers
+ in a way that leaders of proprietary software projects simply don't
+ have to worry about. As the person leading development of
+ a free software project, you must harness the work of fellow
+ developers by making responsible decisions and by responsibly
+ choosing not to make decisions. You have to direct developers
+ without being overbearing or bossy. You need to strive to earn
+ respect and never forget to give it out.
+
-
-
- SCSI.
-
-
+
-
-
- Linux setup.
-
-
+
+ Delegating Work
-
+
+ By now, you've hypothetically followed me through the early
+ programming of a piece of software, the creation of a website and
+ system of documentation, and we've gone ahead and (as will be
+ discussed in ) released it to the rest
+ of the world. Times passes, and if things go well, people become
+ interested and want to help. The patches begin flowing in.
- Most newsgroups have their own FAQ that are designed to answer most
- of your questions, as the name Frequently Asked Questions indicate.
- Fresh versions should be posted regularly to the relevant newsgroups.
- If you cannot find it in your news spool you could go directly to the
- FAQ main archive FTP site.
- The WWW versions can be browsed at the
- FAQ
- main archive WWW site.
+ Like the parent of any child who grows up, it's now time
+ to wince, smile and do most difficult thing in any parents
+ life: It's time to let go.
- Some FAQs have their own home site, of particular interest:
+ Delegation is the political way of describing this process of
+ letting go. It is the process of handing some of
+ the responsibility and power over your project to other
+ responsible and involved developers. It is difficult for anyone
+ who has invested a large deal of time and energy into a project
+ but it essential for the growth of any free software project. One
+ person can only do so much. A free software project is nothing
+ without the involvement of a group of
+ developers. A group of developers can only be maintained through
+ respectful and responsible leadership and delegation.
+
-
+
+ As your project progresses, you will notice people who are putting
+ significant amounts of time and effort into your project. These
+ will be the people submitting the most patches, posting most on
+ the mailing lists, and engaging in long email discussions. It is
+ your responsibility to contact these people and to try and shift
+ some of the power and responsibility of your position as the
+ project's maintainer onto them (if they want it). There are
+ several easy ways you can do this:
+
-
-
- SCSI FAQ
- and
-
-
+
+ In a bit of a disclaimer, delegation need not mean rule by
+ comittee. In many cases it does and this has been proven to
+ work. In other cases this has created problems. Managing
+ Projects the Open Source Way argues that OSS
+ projects do best when one person is the clear leader of a team and
+ makes the big decisions (design changes, release dates, and so
+ on). I think this often true but would urge developers to
+ consider the ideas that the project leader need not be the
+ project's founder and that these important powers need not all rest
+ with one person but that a release manager may be different than a
+ lead developer. These situations are tricky politically so
+ be careful and make sure it's necessary before you go around
+ empowering people.
+
-
-
- comp.arch.storage FAQ.
-
-
+
+ How to delegate
+
+
+ You may find that other developers seem even more experienced or
+ knowledgeable than you. Your job as a maintainer does not mean
+ you have to be the best or the brightest. It means you
+ are responsible for showing good judgment and for
+ recognizing which solutions are maintainable and which are not.
+
+
+ Like anything, its easier to watch others delegate than to do it
+ yourself. In a sentence: Keep an eye out for other
+ qualified developers who show an interest and sustained
+ involvement with your project and try and shift responsibility
+ towards them. The following ideas might be good places
+ to start or good sources of inspiration:
+
+
+
+ Allow a larger group of people to have write access to your CVS
+ repository and make real efforts towards rule by a
+ committee
-
-
-
+
+ Apache is an
+ example of a project that is run by small group of developers
+ who vote on major technical issues and the admission of new
+ members and all have write access to the main source
+ repository. Their process is detailed online.
+
-
+
+ The Debian Project
+ is an extreme example of rule by committee. At current count,
+ more than 700 developers have full responsibility for
+ aspects of the project. All these developers can upload into
+ the main FTP server, and vote on major issues. Direction for
+ the project is determined by the project's social
+ contract and a constitution. To
+ facilitate this system, there are special teams (i.e. the
+ install team, the Japanese language team) as well as a technical
+ committee and a project leader. The leader's main responsibility
+ is to, appoint delegates or delegate decisions to the
+ Technical Committee.
+
-
- Mailing Lists
+
+ While both of these projects operate on a scale that your
+ project will not (at least initially), their example is
+ helpful. Debian's idea of a project leader who can do
+ nothing but delegate serves as a
+ caricature of how a project can involve and empower a huge
+ number of developers and grow to a huge size.
+
-
- disk!information resources!mailing lists
-
+
-
- These are low-noise channels mainly for developers. Think twice
- before asking questions there as noise delays the development.
- Some relevant lists are linux-raid,
- linux-scsi and linux-ext2fs. Many
- of the most useful mailing lists run on the vger.rutgers.edu server but this is
- notoriously overloaded, so try to find a mirror. There are some
- lists mirrored at The Redhat
- Home Page. Many lists are also accessible at linuxhq, and the
- rest of the web site contains useful information as well.
-
+
+ Publicly appoint someone as the release manager for a
+ specific release
-
- If you want to find out more about the lists available you can send
- a message with the line lists to the list server
- at majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu.
- If you need help on how to use the mail server just send the line
- help to the same address. Due to the
- popularity of this server it is likely it takes a bit to time before
- you get a reply or even get messages after you send a
- subscribe command.
-
+
+ A release manager is usually responsible for coordinating
+ testing, enforcing a code freeze, being responsible for
+ stability and quality control, packaging up the software, and
+ placing it in the appropriate places to be downloaded.
+
-
- There is also a number of other majordomo list servers that can
- be of interest such as the EATA driver list
- (linux-eata@mail.uni-mainz.de)
- and the Intelligent IO list linux-i2o@dpt.com.
-
+
+ This use of the release manager is a good way to give yourself a
+ break and to shift the responsibility for accepting and
+ rejecting patches onto someone else. It is a good way of very
+ clearly defining a chunk of work on the project as belonging to
+ a certain person and its a great way of giving yourself room to
+ breath.
+
+
+
+ Delegate control of an entire branch
+
+ If your project chooses to have branches (as described in ), it might be a good idea to appoint someone
+ else to be the the head of a branch. If you like focusing your
+ energy on development releases and the implementation of new
+ features, hand total control over the stable releases to a
+ well-suited developer.
+
+
+
+ The author of Linux, Linus Torvalds, came out and crowned Alan
+ Cox as the man for stable kernels. All patches
+ for stable kernels go to Alan and, if Linus were to be taken
+ away from work on Linux for any reason, Alan Cox would be more
+ than suited to fill his role as the acknowledged heir to the
+ Linux maintainership.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Accepting and Rejecting Patches
- Mailing lists are in a state of flux but you can find links to a
- number of interesting lists from the
- Linux Documentation
- Homepage.
+ This HOWTO has already touched on the fact that as the maintainer
+ of a free software project, one of your primary and most important
+ responsibilities will be accepting and rejecting patches submitted
+ to you by other developers.
-
-
+
+ Technical judgment
-
- HOWTO
+
+ In Open Source Development with CVS, Karl
+ Fogel makes a convincing argument that the most important things
+ to keep in mind when rejecting or accepting patches are:
+
-
- disk!information resources!HOWTOs
-
+
+
-
- These are intended as the primary starting points to get the
- background information as well as show you how to solve a
- specific problem. Some relevant HOWTOs are
- Bootdisk,
- Installation,
- SCSI and
- UMSDOS. The main site for these is the
- LDP archiveat
- Metalab (formerly known as Sunsite).
-
+
+ A firm knowledge of the scope of your program (that's the
+ idea I talked about in );
+
+
+
+ The ability to recognize, facilitate, and direct
+ evolution of your program so that the program
+ can grow and change and incorporate functionality that was
+ originally unforeseen;
+
-
- There is a a new HOWTO out that deals with setting up a DPT RAID
- system, check out the
- DPT RAID
- HOWTO homepage.
-
-
+
+ The necessity to avoid digressions that might expand the
+ scope of the program too much and result and push the project
+ towards an early death under its own weight and
+ unwieldiness.
+
-
+
+
-
- Local Resources
+
+ These are the criteria that you as a project maintainer should
+ take into account each time you receive a patch.
+
-
- disk!information resources!local
-
+
+ Fogel elaborates on this and states the the
+ questions to ask yourself when considering whether to implement
+ (or approve) a change are:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Will it benefit a significant percentage of the program's
+ user community?
+
+
+
+ Does it fit within the program's domain or within a
+ natural, intuitive extension of that domain?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The answers to these questions are never straightforward and its
+ very possible (and even likely) that the person who submitted the
+ patch may feel differently about the answer to these questions
+ than you do. However, if you feel that that the answer to either
+ of those questions is no, it is your responsibility
+ to reject the change. If you fail to do this, the project will
+ become unwieldy and unmaintainable and many ultimately fail.
+
+
+
+
+ Rejecting patches
+
+
+ Rejecting patches is probably the most difficult and sensitive
+ job that the maintainer of any free software project has to
+ face. But sometimes it has to be done. I mentioned earlier (in
+ and in )
+ that you need to try and balance your responsibility and power to
+ make what you think are the best technical decisions with the
+ fact that you will lose support from other developers if you seem
+ like you are on a power trip or being overly bossy or possessive
+ of the community's project. I recommend that you keep these three
+ major concepts in mind when rejecting patches (or other changes):
+
+
+
+ Bring it to the community
+
+ One of the best ways of justifying a decision to reject a patch
+ and working to not seem like you keep an iron grip on your
+ project is by not making the decision alone at all. It might
+ make sense to turn over larger proposed changes or more
+ difficult decisions to a development mailing list where they can
+ be discussed and debated. There will be some patches (bug fixes,
+ etc.) which will definitely be accepted and some that you feel
+ are so offbase that they do not even merit further
+ discussion. It is those that fall into the grey area between
+ these two groups that might merit a quick forward to a mailing
+ list.
+
+
+
+ I recommend this process wholeheartedly. As the project
+ maintainer you are worried about making the best decision for
+ the project, for the project's users and developers, and for
+ yourself as a responsible project leader. Turning things over to
+ an email list will demonstrate your own responsibility and
+ responsive leadership as it tests and serves the interests of
+ your software's community.
+
+
+
+
+ Technical issues are not always good justification
+
+ Especially towards the beginning of your project's life, you
+ will find that many changes are difficult to implement,
+ introduce new bugs, or have other technical problems. Try to see
+ past these. Especially with added functionality, good ideas do
+ not always come from good programmers. Technical merit is a
+ valid reason to postpone an application of a patch but it is not
+ always a good reason to reject a change outright. Even small
+ changes are worth the effort of working with the developer
+ submitting the patch to iron out bugs and incorporate the change
+ if you think it seems like a good addition to your project. The
+ effort on your part will work to make your project a community
+ project and it will pull a new or less experienced developer
+ into your project and even teach them something that might help
+ them in making their next patch.
+
+
+
+
+ Common courtesy
+
+ It should go without saying but, above all and in all
+ cases, just be nice. If someone has an idea and cares
+ about it enough to write some code and submit a patch, they
+ care, they are motivated, and they are already involved. Your
+ goal as the maintainer is make sure they submit again. They may
+ have thrown you a dud this time but next time may be the idea or
+ feature that revolutionizes your project.
+
+
+
+ It is your responsibility to first justify your choice to not
+ incorporate their change clearly and concisely. Then thank
+ them. Let them know that you a appreciate their help and feel
+ horrible that you can't incorporate their change. Let them know
+ that you look forward to their staying involved and you hope
+ that the next patch or idea meshes better with your project
+ because you appreciate their work and want to see it in your
+ application. If you have ever had a patch rejected after putting
+ a large deal of time, thought, and energy into it, you remember
+ how it feels and it feels bad. Keep this in mind when you have
+ to let someone down. It's never easy but you need to do
+ everything you can to make it as not-unpleasant as possible.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Stable and Development Branches
- In most distributions of Linux there is a document directory
- installed, have a look in the /usr/doc
- directory. where most packages store their main documentation and
- README files etc. Also you will here find the HOWTO archive
- (/usr/doc/HOWTO) of ready formatted HOWTOs
- and also the mini-HOWTO archive
- (/usr/doc/HOWTO/mini) of plain text
- documents.
+ The idea of stable and development branches has already been
+ described briefly in and in
+ . These allusions attest to some of
+ the ways that multiple branches can affect your software. Branches
+ can let you avoid (to some extent) some of the problems around
+ rejecting patches (as described in ) by
+ allowing you to temporarily compromise the stability of your
+ project without affecting those users who need that stability.
- Many of the configuration files mentioned earlier can be found in
- the /etc directory. In particular you will
- want to work with the /etc/fstab file that
- sets up the mounting of partitions and possibly also
- /etc/raidtab file that is used for the
- md system to set up RAID.
+ The most common way of branching your project is to have one
+ branch that is stable and one that is for development. This is the
+ model followed by the Linux kernel that is described in . In this model, there is
+ always one branch that is stable and always
+ one that is in development. Before any new release, the
+ development branch goes into a feature freeze as
+ described in where major changes and
+ added features are rejected or put on hold under the development
+ kernel is released as the new stable branch and major development
+ resumes on the development branch. Bug fixes and small changes
+ that are unlikely to have any large negative repercussions are
+ incorporated into the stable branch as well as the development
+ branch.
- The kernel source in /usr/src/linux is, of
- course, the ultimate documentation. In other words, use
- the source, Luke. It should also be pointed out that the
- kernel comes not only with source code which is even commented
- (well, partially at least) but also an informative
- /usr/src/linux/Documentation. If you are
- about to ask any questions about the kernel you should read this
- first, it will save you and many others a lot of time and
- possibly embarrassment.
+ Linux's model provides an extreme example. On many projects, there is no
+ need to have two versions constantly available. It may make sense to
+ have two versions only near a release. The Debian project has
+ historically made both a stable and an unstable distribution
+ available but has expanded to this to include: stable, unstable,
+ testing, experimental, and (around release time) a frozen
+ distribution that only incorporates bug fixes during the
+ transition from unstable to stable. There are few projects whose
+ size would necessitate a system like Debian's but this use of
+ branches helps demonstrate how they can be used to balance
+ consistent and effective development with the need to make regular
+ and usable releases.
- Also have a look in your system log file
- (/var/log/messages) to see what is going on
- and in particular how the booting went if too much scrolled off
- your screen. Using tail -f /var/log/messages
- in a separate window or screen will give you a continuous update
- of what is going on in your system.
+ In trying to set up a development tree for yourself, there are
+ several things that might be useful to keep in mind:
- You can also take advantage of the /proc
- file system that is a window into the inner workings of your
- system. Use cat rather than
- more to view the files as they are reported as
- being zero length. Reports are that less works
- well here.
-
-
+
-
+
+ Minimize the number of branches
+
+ Debian may be able to make good use of four or five
+ branches but it contains gigabytes of software in over 5000
+ packages compiled for 5-6 different architectures. For you,
+ two is probably a good ceiling. Too many branches will confuse
+ your users (I can't count how many times I had to describe
+ Debian's system when it only had 2 and sometimes 3 branches!),
+ potential developers and even yourself. Branches can help but
+ they come at a cost so use them very sparingly.
+
+
-
- Web Sites
+
+ Make sure that all your different branches are explained
+
+ As I mentioned in the preceding paragraph, different
+ branches will confuse your users. Do
+ everything you can to avoid this by clearly explaining the
+ different branches in a prominent page on your website and in a
+ README file in the FTP or
+ web directory.
-
- disk!information resources!WWW
-
-
- disk!information resources!web pages
-
+
+ I might also recommend against a mistake that I think Debian
+ has made. The terms unstable,
+ testing, and experimental are
+ vague and difficult to rank in order of stability (or
+ instability as the case may be). Try explaining to someone
+ that stable actually means ultra
+ stable and that unstable doesn't
+ actually include any unstable software but is really stable
+ software that is untested as a distribution.
+
-
- There are a huge number of informative web sites available. By
- their very nature they change quickly so do not be surprised
- if these links become quickly outdated.
+
+ If you are going to use branches, especially early on, keep in
+ mind that people are conditioned to understand the terms
+ stable and development and you
+ probably can't go wrong with this simple and common division of
+ branches.
+
+
+
+
+
+ Make sure all your branches are always available
+
+ Like a lot of this document, this should probably should
+ go without saying but experience has taught me that it's not
+ always obvious to people. It's a good idea to physically split
+ up different branches into different directories or directory
+ trees on your FTP or web site. Linux
+ accomplishes this by having kernels in a v2.2 and a v2.3
+ subdirectory where it is immediately obvious (after you know
+ their version numbering scheme) which directory is for the most
+ recent stable and the current development releases. Debian
+ accomplishes this by naming all their distribution with names
+ (i.e. woody, potato, etc.) and then changing symlinks named
+ stable,unstable and
+ frozen to point to which ever distribution (by
+ name) is in whatever stage. Both methods work and there are
+ others. In any case, it is important that different branches
+ are always available, are accessible from consistent locations,
+ and that different branches are clearly distinguished from each
+ other so your users know exactly what they want and where to
+ get it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Other Development issues
- A good starting point is of course the
- Linux Documentation
- Project home page, an information central for
- documentation, project pages and much more.
+ There are more issues surrounding interaction with developers in a
+ free software project that I can not touch on in great detail in a
+ HOWTO of this size and scope. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you see
+ any major omissions.
- Please let me know if you have any other leads that can be
- of interest.
+ Other smaller issues that are worth mentioning are:
-
-
+
+ Freezing
+
+ For those projects that choose to adopt a split development model
+ (), freezing is a concept that is worth
+ becoming familiar with.
+
+
+
+ Freezes come in two major forms. A feature freeze
+ is a period when no significant functionality is added to a
+ program. It is a period where established functionality (even
+ skeletons of barely working functionality) can be improved and
+ perfected. It is a period where bugs are fixed. This type of
+ freeze is usually applied some period (a month or two) before a
+ release. It is easy to push a release back as you wait for
+ one more feature and a freeze helps to avoid this
+ situation by drawing the much needed line in the sand. It gives
+ developers room they need to get a program ready for release.
+
+
+
+ The second type of freeze is a code freeze which
+ is much more like a released piece of software. Once a piece of
+ software has entered a code freeze, all changes to
+ the code are discouraged and only changes that fix known bugs
+ are permitted. This type of freeze usually follows a
+ feature freeze and directly precedes a
+ release. Most released software is in what could be interpreted
+ as a sort of high level code freeze.
+
+
+
+ Even if you never choose to appoint a release manager (), you will have an easier time
+ justifying the rejection or postponement of patches () before a release with a publicly stated
+ freeze in effect.
+
+
-
+
+ Forking
+
+ Forks are like the most extreme version of a branch. A fork is
+ when a group of developers takes code from a free software
+ project and actually starts a brand new free software
+ project with it. The most famous example of a fork was between Emacs and
+ XEmacs. Both emacsen are based on an identical code-base
+ but for technical, political, and philosophical reasons,
+ development was split into two projects which now compete with
+ each other.
+
+
+ The short version of the fork section is, don't do
+ them. Forks force developers to choose one project to
+ work with, cause nasty political divisions, and redundancy of
+ work. Luckily, usually the threat of the fork is enough to scare
+ the maintainer or maintainers of a project into changing the way
+ they run their project.
+
-
+
+ In his chapter on The Open Source Process, Karl
+ Fogel describes how to do a fork if you absolutely must. If you
+ have determined that is absolutely necessary and that the
+ differences between you and the people threatening to fork are
+ absolutely unresolvable, I recommend Fogel's book as a good place
+ to start.
+
+
+
+
-
- Getting Help
+
-
- (your index root)!assistance, obtaining
-
+
+ Maintaining a Project: Interacting with Users
+
+ fswd!users
+
- In the end you might find yourself unable to solve your problems
- and need help from someone else. The most efficient way is either
- to ask someone local or in your nearest Linux user group, search
- the web for the nearest one.
+ If you've worked your way up to here, congratulations, you are
+ nearing the end of this document. This final section describes some
+ of the situations in which you, in your capacity as project
+ maintainer, will be interacting with users. It gives some
+ suggestions on how these situations might be handled effectively.
- Another possibility is to ask on Usenet News in one of the many,
- many newsgroups available. The problem is that these have such a
- high volume and noise (called low signal-to-noise ratio) that your
- question can easily fall through unanswered.
+ Interacting with users is difficult. In our discussion of
+ interaction with developers, the underlying assumption is that in a
+ free software project, a project maintainer must constantly strive to
+ attract and keep developers who can easily leave at any time.
- No matter where you ask it is important to ask well or you will
- not be taken seriously. Saying just my disk
- does not work is not going to help you and instead the
- noise level is increased even further and if you are lucky someone
- will ask you to clarify.
+ Users in the free software community are different than developers
+ and are also different than users in the world of proprietary
+ software and they should be treated differently than either
+ group. Some ways in which the groups differ significantly follow:
- Instead describe your problems in some detail that will enable
- people to help you. The problem could lie somewhere you did not
- expect. Therefore you are advised to list the following information
- about your system:
+
+
+
+ The lines between users and developers are blurred in ways
+ that is totally foreign to any proprietary development
+ model. Your users are often your developers and vice
+ versa.
+
+
+
+ In the free software world, you are often your users' only
+ choice. Because there is such an emphasis on not replicating the
+ work of others in the free software community and because the
+ element of competition present in the propriety software model is
+ absent (or at least in an extremely different form) in the free
+ software development model, you will probably be the only project
+ that does what you do (or at least the only one that does what
+ you do in the way that you do it). This means your responsiveness
+ to your users is even more important than in the proprietary
+ software world.
+
+
+
+ In an almost paradoxical situation, free software projects
+ have less immediate or dire consequences for ignoring their users
+ altogether. It is also often easier to do. Because you don't
+ usually need to compete with another product, chances are good
+ that you will not be scrambling to gain the features of your
+ competitor's newest program. This means that your development
+ process will have to be directed either internally, by a
+ commitment to your users, or through both.
+
+
-
+ Trying to tackle this unique situation can only be done
+ indirectly. Developers and maintainers need to listen to users and
+ to try and be as responsive as possible. A solid knowledge of the
+ situation recounted above is any free software developer's best tool
+ for shifting his development or leadership style to fit the unique
+ process of free software development. This chapters will try and
+ introduce some of the more difficult or important points in any
+ projects interactions with users and give some hints on how to
+ tackle these.
+
+
+
+
+ Testing and Testers
+
+
+ In addition to your users being your developers, they are also
+ (and perhaps more commonly) your testers. Before I get flamed, I
+ should rephrase my sentence: some of your
+ users (those who explicityly volunteer) are your
+ testers.
+
+
+
+ It is important that this distinction be made early on because not
+ all of your users want to be testers. Many users want to use
+ stable software and don't care if they don't have the newest,
+ greatest software with the latest, greatest features. These users
+ except a stable, tested piece of software without major or obvious
+ bugs and will be angry if they find themselves testing. This is
+ yet another way in which a split development model (as mentioned
+ in ) might come in handy.
+
+
+
+ Managing
+ Projects the Open Source Way describes what a
+ good test should look for:
+
+
+
- Hardware
+ Boundary conditions
+
-
-
-
- Processor
-
-
-
- DMA
-
-
-
- IRQ
-
-
-
- Chip set (LX, BX etc)
-
-
-
- Bus (ISA, VESA, PCI etc)
-
-
-
-
- Expansion cards used (Disk controllers, video, IO
- etc.)
-
-
-
-
-
+ Maximum buffer lengths, data conversions, upper/lower
+ boundary limits, and so on.
-
+
- Software
-
-
-
-
-
- BIOS (On motherboard and possibly SCSI host adapters)
-
-
-
- LILO, if used
-
-
-
-
- Linux kernel version as well as possible modifications
- and patches
-
-
-
-
- Kernel parameters, if any
-
-
-
-
- Software that shows the error (with version number
- or date)
-
-
-
-
-
+ Inappropriate behavior
+
+ Its a good idea to find out what a program will do if a
+ user hands it a value it isn't expecting, hits the wrong button,
+ etc. Ask yourself a bunch of what if questions
+ and think of anything that might fail or
+ might go wrong and find out what your
+ program would do in those cases.
-
+
- Peripherals
+ Graceful failure
+
-
-
+ The answer to a number of the what if
+ questions above is probably failure which is
+ often the only answer. Now make sure that it happens
+ nicely. Make sure that when it crashes, there is some indication
+ of why it crashed or failed so that the user or developer
+ understands whats going on.
+
-
-
- Type of disk drives with manufacturer name, version and type
-
-
+
-
- Other relevant peripherals
-
+
+ Standards conformance
-
-
+
+ If possible, make sure your programs conforms to
+ standards. If it's interactive, don't be too creative with
+ interfaces. If it is non-interactive, make sure it communicates
+ over appropriate and established channels with other programs
+ and with the rest of the system.
-
+
-
-
-
- Remember that booting text is logged to
- /var/log/messages which can answer most of
- the questions above. Obviously if the drives fail you might not be
- able to get the log saved to disk but you can at least scroll
- back up the screen using the SHIFT and
- PAGE UP keys. It may also be useful to include
- part of this in your request for help but do not go overboard,
- keep it brief as a complete log file dumped
- to Usenet News is more than a little annoying.
-
-
-
-
-
+
+ Automated testing
+
+ For many programs, many common mistakes can be caught by
+ automated means. Automated tests tend to be pretty good at
+ catching errors that you've run into several times before or
+ the things you just forget. They are not very good at finding
+ errors, even major ones, that are totally unforeseen.
+
-
+
+ CVS comes with a bourne shell script called sanity.sh that is
+ worth looking at. Debian uses a program called lintian that
+ checks Debian packages for all of the most common errors. While
+ use of these scripts may not be helpful, there is a host of other
+ sanity checking software on the net that may be applicable (feel
+ free to email me any recommendations). None of these will create
+ a bug-free release but they will avoid at least some major
+ oversights. Finally, if your programs become a long term
+ endeavor, you will find that there are certain errors that you
+ tend to make over and over. Start a collection of scripts that
+ check for these errors to help keep them out of future releases.
+
+
-
- Concluding Remarks
+
+ Testing by testers
+
+ For any program that depends on user interactivity, many bugs
+ will only be uncovered through testing by users actually clicking
+ the keys and pressing the mouse buttons. For this you need
+ testers and as many as possible.
+
-
- (your index root)!conclusion
-
+
+ The most difficult part of testing is finding testers. It's
+ usually a good tactic to post a message to a relevant mailing
+ list or news group announcing a specific proposed release date
+ and outlining the functionality of your program. If you put some
+ time into the announcement, you are sure to get a few responses.
+
-
- Just summing up... Also a place for general
- recommendations.
-
+
+ The second most difficult part of testing is
+ keeping your testers and keeping them
+ actively involved in the testing process. Fortunately, there are
+ some tried and true tactics that can applied towards this end:
+
-
+
+
+
+
+ Make things simple for your testers
+
+ Your testers are doing you a favor so make it as easy as
+ possible for them. This means that you should be careful to
+ package your software in a way that is easy to find, unpack,
+ install, and uninstall. This also means you should explain
+ what you are looking for to each tester and make the means for
+ reporting bugs simple and well established. The key is to
+ provide as much structure as possible to make your testers'
+ jobs easy and to maintain as much flexibility as possible for
+ those that want to do things a little differently.
+
+
+
+
+ Be responsive to your testers
+
+ When your testers submit bugs, respond to them and
+ respond quickly. Even if you are only responding to tell them
+ that the bug has already been fixed, quick and consistent
+ responses make them feel like their work is heard, important,
+ and appreciated.
+
+
+
+
+ Thank your testers
+
+ Thank them personally each time they send you
+ patch. Thank them publicly in the documentation and the about
+ section of your program. You appreciate your testers and your
+ program would not be possible without their help. Make sure
+ they know it. Publicly, pat them on the back to make sure the rest of
+ the world knows it too. It will be appreciated more than you
+ expected.
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
-
+
+ Setting up Support Infrastructure
-
- Questions and Answers
+
+ While testing is important, the large part of your interactions
+ and responsibility to your users falls under the category of
+ support. The best way to make sure your users are adequately
+ supported in using your program is to set up a good infrastructure
+ for this purpose so that your developers and users help each other
+ and less of the burden falls on you. This way, people will also
+ get quicker and better responses to their questions. This
+ infrastructure comes in several major forms:
+
-
- (your index root)!FAQ
-
-
- (your index root)!frequently asked questions
-
+
+ Documentation
+
+ It should not come as any surprise that the key element to any
+ support infrastructure is good documentation. This topic was
+ large covered in and will not be
+ repeated here.
+
+
-
- Check the newsgroups and try to determine some frequent
- problems and cover them here. Again an example from the Multi Disk
- HOWTO.
-
+
+ Mailing lists
+
+ Aside from documentation, effective mailing lists will be your
+ greatest tool in providing user support. Running a mailing list
+ well is more complicated than installing mailing list software
+ onto a machine.
+
-
- This is just a collection of what I believe are the most common
- questions people might have. Give me more feedback and I will turn
- this section into a proper FAQ.
-
+
+ Separate lists
+
+
+ A good idea is too separate your user and development mailing
+ lists (perhaps into project-user@host and project-devel@host)
+ and enforce the division. If people post a development question
+ onto -user, politely ask them to repost it onto -devel and vise
+ versa. Subscribe yourself to both groups and encourage all
+ primarily developers to do the same.
+
-
-
-
- Q:How many physical disk drives (spindles) does a Linux system need?
+ This system provides so that no one person is stuck doing all of
+ the support work and works so that users learn more about the
+ program, they can help newer users with their questions.
+
+
+ Choose mailing list software well
- A: Linux can run just fine on one drive (spindle). Having
- enough RAM (around 32 MB, and up to 64 MB) to support swapping
- is a better price/performance choice than getting a second
- disk. (E)IDE disk is usually cheaper (but a little slower) than
- SCSI.
+ Please don't make the selection of mailing list software
+ impulsively. Please consider easy accessibility by users without
+ a lot of technical experience so you want to be as easy as
+ possible. Web accessibility to an archive of the list is also
+ important.
-
-
- Q: Are there any disadvantages in this scheme?
+ The two biggest free software mailing list programs are majordomo
+ and GNU Mailman. A
+ long time advocate of majordomo, I would now recommend any
+ project choose GNU Mailman. It fulfills the criteria listed
+ above and makes it easier. It provides a good mailing
+ list program for a free software project maintainer as opposed
+ to a good mailing list application for a mailing list
+ administrator.
- A: There is only a minor snag: if even a single partition
- overflows the system might stop working properly. The severity
- depends of course on what partition is affected. Still this is
- not hard to monitor, the command df gives
- you a good overview of the situation. Also check the swap
- partition(s) using free to make sure you are
- not about to run out of virtual memory.
+ There are other things you want to take into consideration in
+ setting up your list. If it is possible to gate your mailing
+ lists to USENET and provide it in digest form as well as
+ making them accessible on the web, you will please some users
+ and work to make the support infrastructure slightly more
+ accessible.
-
+
+
-
+
+ Other support ideas
+
+
+ A mailing list and accessible documentation are far from all you
+ can do to set up good user support infrastructure. Be
+ creative. If you stumble across something that works well, email me
+ and I'll include it here.
+
+
+
+ Make your self accessible
+
+ You can not list too few methods to reach you. If you hang out
+ in an IRC channel, don't hesitate to list it
+ in your projects documentation. List email and snailmail
+ addresses, and ways to reach you via ICQ,
+ AIM, or Jabber if they apply.
+
+
+
+
+ Bug management software
- Q: OK, so should I split the system into as many partitions as
- possible for a single drive?
+ For many large software projects, use of bug management software
+ is essential to keep track of which bugs have been fixed, which
+ bugs have not been fixed, and which bugs are being fixed by
+ which people. Debian uses the Debian Bug Tracking System
+ (BTS) although it may not be best choice for
+ every project (it seems to currently be buckling under its own
+ weight) As well as a damn good web browser, the mozilla project
+ has spawned a sub-project resulting in a bug tracking system
+ called bugzilla
+ which has become extremely possible and which I like a lot.
- A: No, there are several disadvantages to that. First of all
- maintenance becomes needlessly complex and you gain very little
- in this. In fact if your partitions are too big you will seek
- across larger areas than needed. This is a balance and
- dependent on the number of physical drives you have.
+ These systems (and others like them) can be unwieldy so
+ developers should be careful to not spend more time on the bug
+ tracking system than on the bugs or the projects themselves. If
+ a project continues to grow, use of a bug tracking system can
+ provide an easy standard avenue for users and testers to report
+ bugs and for developers and maintainers to fix them and track
+ them in an orderly fashion.
-
+
+
+
-
+
-
- Greg Leblanc: Depending on how big this FAQ gets, perhaps it
- would be worthwhile to have, say, the 5 most FAQ, and put the
- rest into an external FAQ. Dunno. Comments?
-
+
+ Releasing Your Program
- (rest deleted.)
-
+
+ As mentioned earlier in the HOWTO, the first rule of releasing is,
+ release something useful. Non-working or
+ not-useful software will not attract anyone to your
+ project. People will be turned off of your project and will be likely
+ to simply gloss over it next time they see a new version
+ announced. Half-working software, if useful, will intrigue people,
+ whet their appetites for versions to come, and encourage them to
+ join the development process.
+
-
+
+ When to release
-
+
+ Making the decision to release your software for the first time
+ is an incredibly important and incredibly stressful decision. But
+ it needs to done. My advice is to try and make something that
+ is complete enough to be usable and incomplete enough to allow
+ for flexibility and room for imagination by your future
+ developers. It's not an easy decision. Ask for help on a local
+ Linux User Group mailing list or from a group of developer
+ friends.
+
+
+ One tactic is to first do an alpha or
+ beta release as described below in . However, most of the guidelines described
+ above still apply.
+
-
+
+ When you feel in your gut that it is time and you feel
+ you've weighed the situation well several times, cross your
+ fingers and take the plunge.
+
-
- Bits and Pieces
+
+ After you've released for the first time, knowing when to release
+ becomes less stressful, but just as difficult to gauge. I like
+ the criteria offered by Robert Krawitz in his article, Free
+ Software Project Management for maintaining a
+ good release cycle. He recommends that you ask yourself,
+ does this release...
+
-
- disk!miscellaneous
-
+
+
+
+ Contain sufficient new functionality or bug fixes to be
+ worth the effort.
+
-
- This is basically a section where I stuff all the bits I have not
- yet decided where should go, yet that I feel is worth knowing
- about. It is a kind of transient area.
-
+
+ Be spaced sufficiently far apart to allow the user time
+ to work with the latest release.
+
-
+
+ Be sufficiently functional so that the user can get work
+ done (quality).
+
+
+
-
+
+ If the answer is yes to all of these questions, its probably time
+ for a release. If in doubt, remember that asking for advice can't
+ hurt.
+
+
+
+ How to release
-
+
+ If you've followed the guidelines described in this HOWTO up
+ until this point, the mechanics of doing a release are going to
+ be the easy part of releasing. If you have set up consistent
+ distribution locations and the other infrastructure described in
+ the preceding sections, releasing should be as simple as building
+ the package, checking it once over, and uploading it into the
+ appropriate place and then making your website reflect the
+ change.
+
+
-
- Examples
+
+ Alpha, beta, and development releases
-
- (your index root)!examples
-
+
+ When contemplating releases, it worth considering the fact that
+ not every release needs to be a full numbered release. Software
+ users are accustomed to pre-releases but you must be careful to
+ label these releases accurately or they will cause more problems then
+ they are worth.
+
-
- Example designs and sample configuration files and other
- relevant details is always handy
-
+
+ The observation is often made that many free software developers
+ seem to be confused about the release cycle. Managing
+ Projects the Open Source Way suggests that you memorize
+ the phrase, Alpha is not Beta. Beta is not Release
+ and I'd agree that tis is a probably a good idea.
+
-
+
+
+
+
+ alpha releases
+
+ Alpha software is feature-complete but sometimes only
+ partially functional.
+
+ Alpha releases are expected to be unstable, perhaps a
+ little unsafe, but definitely usable. They
+ can have known bugs and kinks that have
+ yet to be worked out. Before releasing an alpha, be sure to
+ keep in mind that alpha releases are still
+ releases and people are not going to be expecting a
+ nightly build from the CVS source. An alpha should work and
+ have minimal testing and bug fixing already finished.
+
+
+
+
+ beta releases
+
+ Beta software is feature-complete and functional, but is
+ in the testing cycle and still has a few bugs left to be
+ ironed out.
+
+ Beta releases are general expected to be usable and
+ slightly unstable, although definitely not
+ unsafe. Beta releases usually preclude a full
+ release by under a month. They can contain small known bugs
+ but no major ones. All major functionality should be fully
+ implemented although the exact mechanics can still be worked
+ out. Beta releases are great tool to whet the appetites of
+ potential users by giving them a very realistic view of where
+ your project is going to be in the very near future and can
+ help keep interest by giving people
+ something.
+
+
+
+
+ development releases
+
+ Development release is much a more vague
+ term than alpha or beta. I
+ usually choose to reserve the term for discussion of a
+ development branch although there are other ways to use the
+ term. So many in fact, that I feel the term has been
+ cheapened. The popular window manager Enlightenment has
+ released nothing but development
+ releases. Most often, the term is used to describe releases
+ that are not even alpha or beta and if I were to release a
+ pre-alpha version of a piece of software in order to keep
+ interest in my project alive, this is probably how I would
+ have to label it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Announcing Your Project
+
+
+ Well, you've done it. You've (at least for the purposes of this
+ HOWTO) designed, built, and released your free software
+ project. All that is left is for you to tell the world so they
+ know to come and try it out and hopefully jump on board with
+ development. If everything is in order as described above, this
+ will be a quick and painless process. A quick announcement is all
+ that it takes to put yourself on the free software community's
+ radar screen.
+
+
+
+ Mailing lists and USENET
+
+ Email is still the way that most people on the Internet get their
+ information. Its a good idea to send a message announcing your
+ program to any relevant mailing list you know of and any relevant
+ USENET discussion group. Karl Fogel recommends that use you
+ simple subject describing the fact that the message is an
+ announcement, the name of the program, the version, and a
+ half-line long description of its functionality. This way, any
+ interested user or developer will be immediately attracted to
+ your announcement. Fogel's example looks like:
+
+
+ Subject: ANN: aub 1.0, a program to assemble USENET binaries
+
+
+ The rest of the email should describe the programs functionality
+ quickly and concisely in no more than two paragraphs and should
+ provide links to the projects webpage and direct links to
+ downloads for those that want to try it right away.
+
+
+
+ You should repeat this announcement process consistently in the
+ same locations for each subsequent release.
+
+
+
+
+ freshmeat.net
+
+ Mentioned earlier in , in today's free
+ software community, announcements of your project on freshmeat
+ are almost more important than announcements on mailing lists.
+
+
+
+ Visit the freshmeat.net
+ website or their submit project
+ page to post your project onto their site and into their
+ database. In addition to a large website, freshmeat provides a
+ daily newsletter that highlights all the days releases and
+ reaches a huge audience (I personally skim it every night for any
+ interesting new releases).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Printed Books
+
+
+
+
+ Fogel
+ Karl
+
+
+ Open Source Development with CVS
+
+
+ Coriolois Open Press
+
+ 1999
+
+ 1-57610-490-7
+
+
+
+ Fogel's guide to using CVS in the free software
+ world is much more than its subitle. In the publisher's
+ own words: Open Source Development with
+ CVS is one of the first books available that teaches
+ you development and implementation of Open Source
+ software. It also includes the best reference and
+ tutorial to CVS I have ever seen. It is the book that was
+ so good that it prompted me to write this
+ HOWTO because I thought the role it tried to serve was so
+ important and useful. Please check it or buy it if you can and
+ are seriously interested in running a free software project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Lessig
+ Lawrence
+
+
+ Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace
+
+
+ Basic Books
+
+ 2000
+
+ 0-465-03913-8
+
+
+
+ While it only briefly talks about free software (and does it by
+ tiptoeing around the free software/open source issue with the
+ spineless use of the term open code that only a
+ laywer could coin), Lessig's book is brilliant. Written by a
+ lawyer, it talks about how regulation on the Internet is not
+ done with law, but with the code itself and how the nature of
+ the code will determine the nature of future freedoms. In
+ addition to being a quick and enjoyable read, it gives some
+ cool history and describes how we need
+ free software in a way more powerfully than anything I've read
+ outside of RMS's
+ Right to Read.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Raymond
+ Eric
+
+
+ The Cathedral and the Bazaar
+ Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary
+
+
+ O'Reilly
+
+ 1999
+
+ 1-56592-724-9
+
+
+ Although I have to honestly say that I am not the ESR fan that
+ I used to be, this book proved invaluable in getting me where I
+ am today. The essay that gives the book its title does a good
+ job of sketching the free software process and does an an
+ amazing job of making an argument for free software/open source
+ development as a road to better software. The rest of the book
+ has other of ESR's articles, which for the most part are posted
+ on his website. Still, it's nice thing to own in hard copy and
+ something that every free software/open source hacker should
+ read.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Web-Accessable Resources
+
+
+ This is a list of the web resources pertaining to this HOWTO that
+ I've found most helpful in compiling this information. If you know
+ of others that would help, please don't hesitate to email me at
+ mako@debian.org and we can look into getting it
+ added to the list and represented in the HOWTO.
+
+
+
+ I'd recommend that any free software developer (or potential one)
+ skim through these sites becaue they have each have a lot to say.
+
+
+
+
+
+ Manley
+ Montey
+
+
+ <ulink
+ url="http://news.linuxprogramming.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2000-10-31-001-05-CD">Managing
+ Projects the Open Source Way</ulink>
+
+
+ Linux
+ Programming
+
+ Oct 31, 2000
+
+
+
+ In one of the better articles on the subject that I've read,
+ Monty sums up some of the major points I touch on including:
+ starting a project, testing, documenation, organizing a team and
+ leadership, and several other topics. While more opiniated that
+ I try to be, I think its an important article that I found very
+ helpful in writing this HOWTO. I've tried to cite him in
+ the places where I borrowed from him most.
+
+
+
+ I have problems much of this piece and I recommend you read
+ at the same time you read Monty's
+ article for a good critique.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Gabriel
+ Richard
+
+
+ <ulink
+ url="http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html">The Rise of
+ <quote>Worse is Better</quote></ulink>
+
+
+
+ A well written article although I think the title may have
+ confused as many people as the rest of the essay helped. It
+ offers a good description of how to design programs that will
+ succeed and stay maintainable as they grow.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Advogato Articles
+
+
+ I've found that one of the best resources that any free software
+ developer has at his or her disposal is Advogato.org. If you haven't
+ yet had a chance to visit the
+ website, do.
+
+
+
+ I have spent a huge amount of time on advogato and I've gone
+ through and provided links to the articles that I think might be
+ of particular interest to anyone reading this HOWTO. I think that
+ skimming through these links can be helfpul and I promise that if
+ you do, you'll learn a lot. You will learn that my idea of how a
+ free software project should be run is not the
+ only idea. I think that's important.
+
+
+
+ If nothing else, there is way more
+ information on that website than I could ever fit into, or
+ reference from this HOWTO. I have listed what I think are the most
+ relavant articles here with short descriptions that I've written.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Hindle
+ Stephen
+
+
+ <ulink url="http://www.advogato.org/article/262.html">'Best Practices' for Open Source?</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ March 21, 2001
+
+
+
+ Touching mostly on programming practice (as most articles on
+ the subject usually do), the article talks a little about
+ project managment (Use it!) and a bit about
+ communication within a free software project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Cohen
+ Bram
+
+
+ <ulink
+ url="http://www.advogato.org/article/258.html"></ulink>How to
+ Write Maintainable Code
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ March 15, 2001
+
+
+
+ This article touches upon the "writing maintainable code"
+ discussion that I try hard to avoid in my HOWTO. It's one of
+ the better (and most diplomatic) articles on the subject that
+ I've found.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Krawitz
+ Robert
+
+
+ <ulink url="http://www.advogato.org/article/196.html">Free
+ Source Project Management</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ November 4, 2000
+
+
+
+ This article made me happy because it challenged many of the
+ problems that I had with Monty's article on LinuxProgramming. The
+ author argues that Monty calls simply for the application of
+ old (proprietary software) project management techniques in
+ free software projects instead of working to come up with
+ something new. I found his article to be extremely well thought
+ out and I think it's an essential read for any free software
+ project manager.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Martins
+ Lalo
+
+
+ <ulink url="http://www.advogato.org/article/128.html">Ask
+ the Advogatos: why do Free Software projects
+ fail?</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ July 20, 2000
+
+
+
+ While the article is little more than a question, reading the
+ answers to this question offered by advogato's readers can
+ help. In a lot of ways, this HOWTO acts as my answer to the
+ questions posed in this article but there are others, many of
+ which might take issue with whats is in this HOWTO. It's worth
+ checking out.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Burley
+ David
+
+
+ <ulink
+ url="http://www.advogato.org/article/107.html">In-Roads to Free
+ Software Development</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ June 14, 2000
+
+
+
+ This document was written as a response to another advogato
+ article. Although not about running a project, this
+ describes some of the ways that you can get started with free
+ software development without starting a project. I think this
+ is an important article. If you are interested in becoming
+ involved with free software, this article showcases some of the
+ ways that you can do this without actually starting a project
+ (something that I hope this HOWTO has demonstrated is not to be
+ taken lightly).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Moorman
+ Jacob
+
+
+ <ulink
+ url="http://www.advogato.org/article/72.html"></ulink>Importance
+ of Non-Developer Supporters in Free Software
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ April 16, 2000
+
+
+
+ Moorman's is a short article but it brings up some good
+ points. The comment reminding developers to thank their testers
+ and end-users is invaluable and oft-forgotten.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Orchard
+ Leslie
+
+
+ <ulink url="http://www.advogato.org/article/67.html">On
+ Naming an Open Source Project</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ April 12, 2000
+
+
+
+ I didn't even have a section on project naming in this HOWTO
+ (See ) until Leslie Orchard's article
+ reminded me of it. Thanks to Leslie for writing this article!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Allen
+ David
+
+
+ <ulink url="http://www.advogato.org/article/40.html">Version Numbering Madness</ulink>
+
+
+ Advogato
+
+ Februrary 28, 2000
+
+
+
+ In this article, David Allen challengs the whole
+ Major.Minor.Patch version numbering scheme. Its
+ good to read this as you read . I liked the article and it
+ describes some of the projects that I bring up in my discussion
+ of verion numbering.
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
@@ -1467,4 +3080,4 @@ sgml-exposed-tags:nil
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