Re: Hurd advocacy?
When it comes to getting people involved my main concern would be the
current lack of awareness of Hurd in wider circles. As I mentioned
previously, if Linux Format hadn't devoted two pages to it in one of
their issues, I'd still have never heard of it. As it is, I've been
impressed enough to send Amazon money in return for:
Operating Systems: Design and Implementation
Andrew S. Tanenbaum
and
Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/software Interface
David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessey
and
Code Reading: The Open Source Perspective
Diomidis Spinellis
With bedtime reading like this, I get lots of early nights. Hell, there's hardly room for the girlfriend... ;)
Anyway, back to topic. Profile raising is important, the corporate world is unlikely to be interested until they have something they can use, that presents a clear advantage over whatever they're using now. My line of attack would be the lecturers on undergraduate Systems Design/Software Engineering courses at Universities worldwide. I regret that my friends don't generally come from such exalted circles, but I can try and find out who talk to at the Universities in my local area. I confess that I don't currently feel technically competent to give an accurate account of the Hurd/L4 to an audience, so it would be great if a Hurd 'marketing' site could be formed that talked about:
What is the Hurd? - Where the name comes from, the fundamental design concepts etc.
Why another O/S? - Explain the differences in design between Windows, Linux and Hurd, and why Hurd is doing things the way it is.
What makes Hurd so different? - Expand upon the stuff above, going into more detail on kernel independence and other *killer* features
What do I need? - Talk about everything that somebody needs prior to downloading/installing the HURD. Talk about the areas of knowledge they need as well as physical objects (like a computer)
Where can I download Hurd? - Point to the Debian discs, explain a little about how releases are numbered and talk about how to get the latest files from CVS for experienced developers
How do I install Hurd? - OK, lots of detail for the first-time installer, links to an installation FAQ/Common problems piece.
I have Hurd, *whatever* isn't working.. - Help us fix it! Get in touch with ... or read the ... mailing list and introduce yourself. There's lots to be done.
Why should I help? - There are no direct financial rewards for working on Hurd. However, it looks great on your CV and helps to prove to potential employers that you're serious about your work and you have the skills to do the job that you're applying for.
etc. Make all of these documents available in PDF format so lecturers can print them off and keep the pages maintained with *lots* of FAQ's and a message board community for people to ask questions and get responses. All done at the sort of level that would appeal to someone who was just beginning to learn about operating systems from a technical perspective. A one stop shop for Hurd knowledge. A priority for me (and I know we're not currently near this point) would be a Hurd/L4 release that could be installed onto a PC without needing any kind of previous Linux installation and co-exist on a harddisk without screwing up whatever other OS's exist on that PC. The user would be warned that Hurd was unstable and actively encouraged to contact the core developers to assist in development. If all the document titles listed above existed and could be kept within a rough length of say, between one and eight A4 pages, then that becomes material that could be used in lectures, which in turn could significantly raise the Hurds profile.
Something like the above could potentially create new issues, who 'controls' development? Who settles disputes when there are two conflicting opinions on a matter that can only have one outcome? But to me open source is about settling things through open reasoned discussion, and I'm sure that as long as these things are thought about prior to acting on any of these suggestions, it can all be worked out. It's up to us to draw people in and invite them to gain experience while working on a complex real world project. It offers the opportunity for people to broaden their knowledge and skills, and see something real grow from the work that they've put in.
These are just opinions, I feel like a fraud for typing so much when I haven't even got the Hurd installed on my PC yet, but if we could get our foot in the door of universities/technical colleges then there's the potential for an entire generation of software engineers/programmers to at least be aware of the Hurd even if only 1% of that number actually get involved. Feel free to shoot me down in flames/tell me to stop prolonging this time consuming thread. Thanks,
Mark
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