[Box Backup] Future development plan

Ben Summers boxbackup@fluffy.co.uk
Thu, 18 Aug 2005 11:25:13 +0100


As briefly discussed, I think we need to move to a more collaborative  
development process to take the project forward properly.

I propose:

* Set up SVN repository. Import 0.09 + my minor modifications

* Add in the following code in branches:
     - Win32 port (Nick)
     - Solaris port (Martin)
     - Autoconf, 64 bit stuff, etc (LinuxOnPower) (Martin)
     - Optimised diffing (Jonathan)
     - (anything I've forgotten?)
trying to keep different changes in different branches.

* In each of the branches, check
     - Code quality
     - Code style
     - Functionality / tests passing

* Merge into the main branch

* Release to users for testing

* Release 0.10

* Agree procedure for design changes and coding amongst developers

* Write up design documents for new version

* Get coding!


Questions we need to answer:

* Are all the contributors happy with this plan?

* Has everyone got enough time to get this done?

* Will people put up with my insistence on the style of the code  
being consistent?

* Where should the SVN repository live? (Sourceforge don't provide  
one, but there are a few "free" providers listed. I might set up a  
repository on one of my servers, however.)

* What do we do about the license, and who holds the copyright?

I use the various libraries to build other private projects, and I'd  
quite like to be able to bring changes into my own code. I have a  
preference for the BSD license, because BSD licensed projects have  
been so helpful to me in the past. But apart from that, I have no  
strong feelings either way.

Thoughts?

Ben