Re: GNUstep roadmap (was Re: [Suggestion] GNUstep-test for quality control)

[Lars Sonchocky-Helldorf]

On 22.10.2003 10:55:05 Dennis Leeuw wrote:
>Björn Giesler wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > sorry for barging in... I think that Chad is going exactly the right
> > direction with SimplyGNUstep. IMHO, there are lots of good
> > Linux/BSD/whatever distributions around; no need to build yet another
> > one.
> >
> > GNUstep is a Software System; a set of libraries that completely
> > abstracts away the operating system, and apps built on top of that.
> > It can be (theoretically) built for almost any OS out there, just as
> > Linux can be (theoretically) built for almost any hardware out there.
> >
> >
> > Therefore I think that there should be a GNUstep distribution,
> > distributing GNUstep as if it were an operating system and packaging
> > precompiled binaries of GNUstep libraries and a number of core apps.
> > This could be built/made downloadable for a number of different
> > platforms, and form one big tgz/whatever. There isn't even the need
> > to make rpms, debs or any other of those crocks, because GNUstep
> > lives completely in its own directory and needs relatively little
> > else. Creating something like that should even be relatively easy, at
> > least for a small number of well-known platforms.
> >
> > That's what I think. What about you?
>
>The direct thing that pops up in my head is: Dependency hell...
>Finding out if all dependencies are forfilled for make, base, gui and
>back is no fun at all.
>I am currently building a list that does just that (I need it for the
>Build Guide since a couple of things seem to be missing). And it is a
>horrible job with a lot of nasty scripts.

I think the way to go would be to define a "GNUstep Reference Platform", 
that means defining/creating a base distribution that contains only the 
absolutely minimal stuff needed* to get GNUstep running.
This GNUstep Reference Platform could then be the starting point for 
others providing a full featured GNUstep System, it should not be though 
of as a Joe Q Public thing.

The main goal of this would be to set a standard against which to develop 
GNUstep applications, so developers know, what they can expect "to be 
there". This GNUstep Reference Platform would of course not be carved out 
of stone forevermore, but evolve along the lines GNUstep itself evolves: 
there would be a GNUstep Reference Platform 1.0 and after a while a 
GNUstep Reference Platform 1.1 and a lot later maybe a GNUstep Reference 
Platform 2.0. The point here is to change this definition not all to often 
and only after after due consideration, not every time a new version of 
GNUstep is available.

)* hereby I don't mean necessarily a "running" distribution, e.g. a kind 
of Linux or *BSD but merely a list of libraries with version numbers. It 
would of course be good to have a working form of this GNUstep Reference 
Platform, let's say something with a Linux Kernel to do real life tests, 
but a specific kernel should not belong to the GNUstep Reference Platform 
to abstract Linux dependencies away and insure the cross platform nature 
of GNUstep.

>
>To let you all in on something I am working on... I have created a
>script with a couple of precompiled binaries that creates me a nice
>bootable CD from a life system that has a GNUstep environment.
>I will create a small system esp. aimed at GNUstep that will become 
Ocean.
>
>Ocean will be a mini distro on a bootable CD. If it boots on your
>system, you can copy it to an HD. Some scripts will be provided to set
>things up. All is in my head and I will start to write everything out as
>time permits. I will document first and build later, so don't hold your
>breath, but I think this will be the way to go.
>
>The last couple of days I have spend rebuilding GNUstep and the working
>apps from scratch and I noticed that most "make install"s on the apps
>are faster then most package managers :)
>
>So a basic distribution, with just the sources might work out just fine.

This could be a starting point for a GNUstep Reference Platform.

>
>Dennis
>
> >
> > Regards, Björn
> >

greetings, Lars