2011/4/22 Riccardo Mottola
<riccardo.mottola@libero.it>
When we first discussed SWI (years ago) the concept of an "app
store" was already there, long before Apple put it in on the
Macintosh.
We have an intermediate problem which would be an installer and/or a
way of building packages from source.
One of the never implemented apps of GAP is an installer. The two
things should work together.
For most apps, that's ./configure, make, sudo make install, so that part shouldn't be a problem.
Having a standard way to distribute binaries for various operating systems would be excellent, too.
Fondaco.app (the Ventian trade houses... the german had one too :)
Fugger.app is nice :)
Hansa.app
Negotium.app
...
I'd be very careful.
Ink.app has an excellent name, it implies writing. Project Center.app has a good name (although it might get confused with a non-IDE project management application).
Giving a cryptic name to a program that should be (nearly) first contact of people with apps is not a good idea. Of the above, I know what's Hansa, but first thought that comes to mind is a trading game, or a financial program. I would never guess this might be a software distribution tool.
Negotium sounds like… uhm, specialized software for diplomats? Maybe a game? :-)
Fugger reminds me of Frogger -- a game.
I think the most reasonable name is Warehouse. Here are a few more derivatives that sounds better than the ones I mentioned before:
GNUstep Warehouse
GNUstep Packages
GNUstep Apps
GNUstep Installer (maybe not -- a dedicated installer similar to what Apple has with their pkg might make better use of this)
Yes, that is a problem. This is where SWI can be an umbrella over
different projects.
Etoile or GAP can't be "the app store" as some suggests, since the
way they guarantee the quality of the software is by maintaining it.
I can't speak for Etoile, but GAP doesn't incorporate "all apps"
unmaintained out there for different reasons. If they don't fit its
paradigm is the official answer. But there is also the burden of
actually maintaining it. GAP goes beyond a mere testing.
Good thoughts!