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Jan-Erik Lärka:
Hello,

the open source movement is strong and we that use OS/2 and eComStation benefit from several projects that originate or build on open source projects. Martin has done a great job to open source software and collecting sources.

What's the plan and how do we make best use of the source code?! Source code doesn't compile itself, someone has to do it and get a project afloat?

Regards,
//Jan-Erik

Dave Yeo:

--- Quote from: Jan-Erik Lärka on July 07, 2015, 01:31:14 pm ---
What's the plan and how do we make best use of the source code?! Source code doesn't compile itself, someone has to do it and get a project afloat?


--- End quote ---

Basically with open source, volunteers do what ever interests them (and occasionally what they get paid to do). For example a long time ago I wanted to play an open source game, so I downloaded the source code and the EMX development environment and learned how to compile it. Been learning ever since and still compile stuff such as this SeaMonkey I'm posting this on and when things go good, share the results with the community.

Martin Iturbide:
Hi Jan.

It is good that you bring up the subject. I will like to bring my personal comments based on the "open source" perspective, which it does not mean it is good or bad, it is just a perspective looked from that side.

I think that is some part we are in a good track. It is very good the job that are doing some guys to keep porting things that use Libc and Qt and the stuff that is doing Bitwise. While we get ported more open source libraries, software dev tools and applications, it will be better for us. 

My first issue is that there are people that do not understand the open source model. Open source is not a magic formula, it a development methodology and software licensing, that will help us to 1)Reduce the risk of having dependencies on a single person or group, 2) Will allow us grow our user base eventually. There are people that thinks that the only and most important resource is money, and no matter how much money you put on OS/2, people will not look at this platform if it is controlled by a single company or individual because you have several alternatives on the market that are 100% independent and open source. This is why to get more people into this platform we need to say convinced that "we are trying to be open source, and this is our roadmap for the next 20 years".

On the side that we are not good, and I got a lot of heat when I discuss about this subject, is the things that are under the hood. The close source components of OS/2 that nobody wants to even think about it, because they are working fine today, and those are the things that are limiting the freedom of the platform. There seems that there are no much interest on the OS/2 internal components today, and there is no constructive discussion about how to clone/replace/improve this components focused on open source.  When I try to get a constructive discussion, I don't get ideas on how to do it or different ways to approach this problem, just excuses on how hard it is.

The other part that is not doing good is that there is not effort on open source drivers. The efforts are focused on using IBM DDK code which can not be open sourced, because it is easier and fast to use the IBM DDK to create drivers. There was even discussion on the chat rooms and Warpstock telling to port BSD drivers to mix it with IBM DDK, so it will remain close source. (The BSD license allows it).  Maybe it is practical to use IBM DDK code but it will only lock us in the future to the developer, it will be better to release open source drivers and try to isolate as much as possible the IBM DDK code.

So, quick summary of my open source issues:

1) There are important community members that are not convinced yet on the value of open source, they just believe that if it works (open or close) it is good enough.
2) There is a lack of interest on the OS/2 internal components that has to change, people just gives the OS/2 base components for granted and there should be more interest on getting open source alternatives to work on OS/2.
3) There is no current effort on open source drivers, there is only focus on making drivers based on IBM DDK code.

If I will like "dare" to put a priority on this subject right now (Since we already have Arca working on drivers and Bitwise working on Firefox) , it will be to start thinking about an open source clone for Presentation Manager. I even wrote this, which may be a stupid, but the idea will be to have some discussion on this topic: http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Wild_Idea:_A_PM_clone_using_the_Qt_library

If anybody has interest on discussing this in a constructive matter (instead of giving excuses on why we should not even try to start)  maybe we should try to open a new thread.

Regards





Mentore:

--- Quote from: Dave Yeo on July 07, 2015, 04:27:04 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jan-Erik Lärka on July 07, 2015, 01:31:14 pm ---
What's the plan and how do we make best use of the source code?! Source code doesn't compile itself, someone has to do it and get a project afloat?


--- End quote ---

Basically with open source, volunteers do what ever interests them (and occasionally what they get paid to do). For example a long time ago I wanted to play an open source game, so I downloaded the source code and the EMX development environment and learned how to compile it. Been learning ever since and still compile stuff such as this SeaMonkey I'm posting this on and when things go good, share the results with the community.

--- End quote ---

I completely second the views of Dave. I too am involved in porting efforts for some of my little personal passions like 8-bit (mostly Sinclair computers) emulators, but I'm also interested in music typesetting and others (actually I'm struggling to understand Cmake because it's needed by GUIDOlib and other Qt software to compile).

Jan-Erik Lärka:
Very good points!

The important thing to come up with is how Open Source / 2 should attract enough developers and users so the large crowd of people will be attracted and come our way later on. There has to be more to Open Source / 2 and a long term plan to attract enough attention. Nothing should be left to coincidence.
Open Source / 2 can be based on substantial ideas and methods that we improve and not force one opinion or the other. Some should be able to work on it as spare time projects, some in full time and others everything in between.

What attract the developers? What can the OS/2 community attract them with?
Why would a developer choose to join the OS/2 community?

The proper answer to that is important if Open Source / 2 should play an important part.

Regards,
//Jan-Erik

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