Tim Groeneveld

This text has been translated from an article written in freiesMagazin 10/2008 page 60. The article was written by Marcus Schulderinsky

For a project to be successfully managed and to be available on the internet, it needs a website and various small tools. The so-called project-hosting “has to have all the services required together and do not require the installation and maintenance of these services.” The problem however is not that such a platform is hard to find, but finding one that matches needs from a variety of sites to choose. For my first “big” project, I needed a hoster who could provide me with the services I required, and finally I had a small selection which I could choose from, which I will test this series. Unfortunately, it is not possible, the systems for large medical teams to test, but for “small” developers like me, I try the right solution.

ShareSource is a relatively new open-source project hosting platform, it was launched on 22 July 2007. It was created to be the “perfect” platform for developers to use. While only in version 1.98 – the ShareSource team try to ensure that it is as easy to use. Special emphasis was on good support from Mercurial, which is next to Subversion version control system than can be used. The only one downside is that ShareSource lies only in an English-language version.

Preliminary

Register and Login

In the website (link), you can register and once registered you get an e-mail with an activation link. You can now login with your new user name and password or your OpenID.

The management interface

The administrative interface is simple and clear design. ShareSource however does miss a few opportunities, such as information regarding the ability to make, for example, other developers be able to see what programming languages are being dominated [is this a correct translation?]. This would allow the formation of (international) development teams to be simplified. But unfortunately you can only here to change the password.

Create a new project

To create a new project, simply click on “add project”. Now you will be greeted with a short introductory welcomes held that describes the various services and pointed out that one of ShareSource’s licenses must be used if the project is to be created. The next step will be invited to give a brief project name, for example, “Firefox” or “KDE”, enter. Thereafter, the full name is required, such as, “Mozilla Firefox” or “K Desktop Environment”. You then can select the desired open-source license. The choices are GNU General Public License, Mozilla Public License, Qt Public License, Artistic License, Open Software License and many more. Then you should be project briefly describe and define a category. Now it takes a loud indication about 48 hours before the project administrator is running. In the test, this was even happened the next day.

Project Management

With a click on “Project Administration” on the side of the project, the administrator can manage the various services that are available to the project.

First, you should repeat the Options button, which is behind, “Project Administration” Main information “to hide, such as what services a user can view, edit the description or the name used programming languages.

Messages and files published

Next would be a new message about the project entirely appropriate, therefore, Project Administration “news”. However, if it is a project without data, this is relatively useless, so you need to have the appropriate upload files. This should be a “package” (a kind of publication, for example, “release” or “testing”) for support. Then you should set up a version, for example, 0.1, and all files in the program as an archive on the website upload.

Upload photos Screen

Now would be a few screen shots of the software worth seeing. For this you click on “Project Administration” Gallery “and loads a new image with a short description high.

The wiki create

Any good project needs its documentation and a Wiki is doing good services here: this you click on “Project Administration” wiki “and within a short time it has created a new main page. If you are finished, one searches in vain for a button for a new page. Putting on the main page to link to one that does not exist yet, it is a question mark next to the link. Now click on the question mark, to get to the page and can edit them. In this way can be Create the wiki completely.

The mailing list

Next is a mailing list handy. A new mailing list is simply the ‘Mailing List Manager is created. This requires you to, add a mailinglist “button and the desired data. After we now have a new mailing list, you can below, Manage a mailing list for a few settings.

The Tracker

A tracker for bugs and wishes is automatically activated. If it is not covered, “Project Administration” Main information.

Statistics and repositories

As we now have a website on ShareSource.org up, is described below. You can now have the statistics, Project Administration “Statistics” and look again to devote programming. When one works in a team, but it is appropriate, or even subversion Mercurial set.

Own Website

Apart from the project site, you can still create a Web page. These can be relatively easy to create, you must see the HTML pages into a new repository with the name, “www” upload. The site is shortly thereafter (5-10 minutes) at the address http://PROJEKTNAME.sharesource.org/ reachable (link). Upon request, PHP can also be activated.

Errors in the system

ShareSource, still has a a few small errors, however, these are not noticed in the test. The only problem is that no one with Firefox can add tags for his project, but this works fine with Opera. For smaller problems the administrator can always be easily contacted via IRC (see below).

The community around the hoster

On irc.sharesource.org in the channel #sharesource, it’s nice to get help. If you have questions to the administrator, you should be aware of the eight hour time difference, since Tim “timgws” Groeneveld, the administrator, lives in Australia.

Dissemination

The big problem of ShareSource is probably in its awareness, because ShareSource is not quite so well known (Google Pagerank: 4) like other Project hosts (SourceForge, Launchpad, BerliOS) it has some “dead” projects.

Conclusion and other peculiarities

One of the peculiarities of Share Source counts especially the small, but very friendly and fast community. An extremely dedicated administrator also fulfills special wishes and little simple fixes problems very quickly. Furthermore, in an interview timgws (see below) Mercurial is repeatedly noted, because ShareSource is able to use it so easily.

However, ShareSource does not yet have very well definied acess lists. The rights for the administrative area is not very flexible. There is, “none”, “Basic” and “ALL”. There is unfortunately not yet any more precise settings. It would be interesting for example, if it would only be possible that only a GUI designer would be able to upload screenshots.

ShareSource is still wonderful for smaller programs, because it is uncomplicated and easy to use.

Free Magazine -> How would you describe Share Source?
Tim Groeneveld <- ShareSource is a site for the software development team. We (Jordan “webs” Bracco and I) had problems with other sites like SourceForge or Launchpad and did not,’ find the “perfect” project host. ShareSource is our idea of a truly open development platform.
-> Was that also your motivation to administer ShareSource?
<- I love open-source software and I try to do everything possible to ensure the further development. Most people here see this hopefully. * grins *
-> Why should we ShareSource for this project use?
<- Good question. As I said, this was the site developed for myself and webs, so we no problems with the version management system could develop, which we liked best. We also wanted to be able to support well Subversion and Mercurial.
-> Speaking of Mercurial, what are the strengths of version management?
<- You can have its source outside of ShareSource. That means that you check the current status offline, make any changes to it, and then commit it after a year later. Moreover, it is really fast and platforms. In comparison to Git, I like the ease of use, simply enter hg serve and get a Web interface that allows you also can manage the changes.
-> And what kind of uses Share-source developers?
<- Cool developers? No, seriously. I think developers who love their freedoms. For one thing, ShareSource is Open Source, on the other hand, everyone can have the source code, not the platform on which they host. In addition, we aim, to improve our services, and do not exist to profit.
-> Is there still something to the conclusion that you want to say?
<- ShareSource is obviously not perfect, but it can only get better.
-> Thank you for the interview.
<- Thank you.

http://www.freiesmagazin.de/mobil/freiesMagazin-2008-10.html

Recently, a good friend of mine sent an email to the Free Software Foundation, the FSF, which was founded by Richard Stallman

History Lesson time!

Richard M. Stallman is a hacker and software freedom activist. He wished to create a free operating system called GNU (which is a recursive acronym for GNU’s Not Unix). Stallman announced the plan for the GNU operating system in September 1983. Stallman was responsible for contributing many necessary tools, including a text editor, compiler, debugger, and a build automator. Many of these tools, such as gcc (the GNU C Compiler) are used today in (nearly) every Linux machine.

Back to my rant.

The Free Software Foundation now wishes us, the people who use Linux not to call Linux … Linux. I am sorry. The opperating system that I use is called Linux. This is the kernel that I use, hence, the system that I use is called Linux. When people ask what I have installed on my computer, I tell them either “Linux” or “Kubuntu”.

I think that we should not start appending or prepending anything to what my kernel is called.

For goodness sakes, if the Free Software Foundation wants me to start calling Linux GNU/Linux or GNU+Linux, I should start adding all the important software that I use on my machine.

Here was my attempt. Sorry to the people/companies and product/program names that I have missed.

GNU+OpenBSD+RedHat+Novell+ApacheFoundation
+MozillaFoundation+KDEFoundation
+kVirc+CrossOverOffice+wine/Linux+xen+openvz

Stupid!

On the 12^th of September, I turned 18. This would be one reason for me slacking off in terms of number of posts. Thanks to everyone who sent me a happy birthday email 🙂

Will post a little about what I did for my birthday as time goes on, I am somewhat disapointed that I didn’t take pictures.

Some things were designed just to not run on a Windows platform. It gets me thinking – what if someone went and actually installed a trojan onto one of these babies? Scary if you ask me.

I just hate it when terms get thrown around incorrectly. One of the two words that really annoy me when they are said incorrectly is piracy. Piracy is when you are on the sea, and steal things from other ships.

Spread the word: Download the SVG file. Filesharing.svg

What ShareSource looked like back in the day, when it had “only” 200 projects. This is back on the old origional ShareSource software that I wrote for me and webs. The new software is alot faster.

[When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don’t take it out on someone you know – take it out on someone you don’t know…]

I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I had forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it.
A man answered, saying, “Hello.”
I politely said, “This is Jason Braemore. Could I please speak with Rachel Carter?”
Suddenly, the phone was slammed down on me – I couldn’t believe that anyone could be so rude.

I tracked down Rachel’s correct number and called her – I had transposed the last two digits of her phone number. After hanging up with her, I decided to call the ‘wrong’ number again…

When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled, “You’re a scumbag!” and hung up.

Read more »

OpenForge is an API (Application Programming Interface) that allows different development forges to communicate each others. All the work is focused on interoperability.

(From OpenForge.info)

OpenForge is a new data exchange format that is slowly being introduced into ShareSource. It’s not really production-ready just yet, but it will be there by the end of this year.

See the site, with the lastest draft specification at OpenForge.info

I am disappointed,as a user of both Linux *and* After Effects that After Effects refuses to run on Linux.

Let’s face it; After Effects, and other applications in the Creative Suite are the most requested applications to be supported by Adobe on Linux.

With a growing market share, and many companies putting in quite a few dollars into supporting it (such as ASUS, and I could name much more), I think that having Adobe apps supported on Linux could be a major plus for not only the Linux, but Adobe.

Let’s face it, the people who work on Linux are geeks. They are people who really work wonders in the computer industry. They are inquisitive and smart people, who have a deep passion for software.

Just because Linux itself is free does not mean that there is not a viable place for software to grow and evolve.

I use Linux because it gives me the control that I want. If something locks sound for other programs? Well, I can lsof /dev/sound and kill the program that is doing it. I want to know *everything* that happens on my computer when it happens? All I have to do is tail -f /var/log/* and move that window to my other screen!

Adobe creates free software, such as the Flash Player, which is Adobe’s most used application – something that is free. Giving the flash viewer away for free creates the need for development kits, such as Adobe Flash to be required, making millions of dollars!

Flash for Linux has been a great thing, I have seen it evolve from the days when it was poorly supported, and you could not play flash files if any other sound application was running, to now where I think it is *almost* better then the Windows version.

IBM for years has said that Linux is ready, and show this in what is my *favorite* ad, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwL0G9wK8j4 released in 2003, announcing to the world that Linux is ready. Its learning and it’s evolving.

Now, those terms have become the present. It has evolved. It has learnt.

I believe that releasing a version of Adobe Creative Suite for Linux could do some really amazing things. It would change the way that people think about Linux.

I, being a person who has many friends who work actively with computers, in many diverse areas knows what the usual response is when you talk to someone about Linux.

Usually, it’s one of two looks. There is the look that says straight away “There is no retail visual effects programs for Linux” or “There is no ‘uber’ professional photo editors for Linux”. The other look is the one of ‘Well, there goes Halo’.

I am of the belief that releasing Adobe for Linux would help it’s market share to grow higher, as it’s a highly available, stable operating system.

Please, think about a version of Adobe CS3 or future versions of the Creative Suite for Linux. It’s not that we want them, but rather, we need them.

The lack of having Adobe After Effects on Linux is *the only* reason I still have Windows on my computer. I don’t want Windows. I dislike it, I hate not being able to have an uptime of more then seven days.

With Linux, I have seen an uptime of around 120 days! Try and do that on Windows!

Linux is ready. Please, see that!

That is the contents of a letter I just wrote to Adobe. Please, if you read this, and you want to help support this cause, drop Adobe an email at one of their ways to contact them, or blog about how you would like to see Adobe supported on Linux.

Today I was setting up a PmWiki install for a website (more about this in the coming days), and it reminded me about AegeanLinux’s old site. Anyways, I don’t think I have any backups of that site any more, but I did go to archive.org (one of the Internet’s best websites), and look to see if I could find an old version of the site.

Man, does this bring back some amazing memories of things that I have done in my “young” days. This screenshot is from the site in 2006, I would have only been fifteen (15) years old!

It was based on ArchLinux, how ever, it did have some pretty slick cool things, like it’s own installer, written in Perl, which had both a console and Qt frontend to install it – even if it only half worked.

Will AegeanLinux ever return? Well, that will depend, but right now, ShareSource is more important. Imagine this though, if it wasn’t for me starting AegeanLinux, I would never have met webs (Jordan Bracco) and ShareSource would never had been!