Re: Debian Java outlook
Hi folks,
I am also a lurker and fairly new to the Java-debian scene(watching
the mailing list for a number of months). I am by profession an
engineer and have worked startups for the last 15 years.
Perhaps the question of a "Debian Java Policy" might be handled as
part of the creation of a nonexistent non-profit debian-java
fellowship/organization/sub-debian_organization.
I would like to point out first that there are approximately 50 days
to potato freeze.
In creating any non-profit business there are certain optimum
guidelines to follow:
)create a steering committee of volunteers to create the infrastructure
of the group -anyone who volunteers should be welcomed cause one can
never have to much assistance.
)communication and documentation - we have the basis of this with the
mailing list. I would like to point out that we could have real-time
get togethers on IRC, say on one of the #debian-... where there are only
a couple of bots hanging out. Documentation could be donated by some
kind individuals who have free space on their servers.
)create a mission statement -this is usually a positive upbeat statement
of where you would like to see yourselves going(opening as many
directions for as many people as possible).
)take an inventory of what you have at this moment -businesses that
don't occasionally take inventory usually go bankrupt. The inventory
should include people/members and product(packages).
)create a "Debian Java Policy" -policies by nature are usually
restrictive, and should be kept as small as possible. An example of
policy would be "Packages must adhere to the GPL to be included in
main."
)public relations and customer relations -without PR there won't be an
influx of new debian-java developers and I have heard complaints on the
mailing list that there aren't enough developers at java-debian. PR can
be as simple as the statement "debian-java rocks" at the bottom of your
email signature card when corresponding with local JUGs. Customer
relations would be for instance a system of handling bugs as quickly and
effectively as possible. Why have just a maintainer to a package? Why
not a maintainer and a couple of apprentice developers that the
maintainer trusts, etc.
This is just a simple form of possibles. I'm sure you all know
variations of the same.
I hope I have been of service to you
Jim
"Cris J. Holdorph" wrote:
>
> Bernd Kreimeier Writes:
> > Of course, your goals might differ, and with a different
> > roadmap, a different policy makes sense. The question I
> > tried to ask when the policy proposal came up originally
> > was: what is your vision of "Java in Debian"? Is it just
> > a bunch of packages to put somewhere, a different compiler
> > and runtime environment to manage? Or is it an integral
> > part of your ideas of what free, *portable* software should
> > look like in 5 or 10 years?
>
> This is a great question. And one I've been waiting to answer
> on this list for a long time. Thank you for giving me the perfect
> opportunity.
>
> The debian-java list and Debian's interaction with Java has been
> the only thing that has come close to pushing me away from Debian
> entirely. For the last 2 full years, I've been doing Java
> development full time. Excluding a couple months, I've done all
> of that development on Solaris and Linux. *MY* vision is one where
> a java compiler and jvm are installed by a package system, and run
> as part of the "default path" (e.g., there is some kind of
> /usr/bin/java and /usr/bin/javac). Next, I would like to see the
> ability to install "development" and "runtime" libraries. I do
> a LOT of work with servlets. So a "servlets.jar" that contained
> the servlet api might be good, Apache JServ would be even better.
>
> I have virtually no need for java programs most of the time. A
> java version of ls, find, tar, etc, would not help me at all.
> Something libc-like besides 'java.*' class libraries might or might
> not help me. (I find Sun's Java libraries, sufficient for most of
> my needs.)
>
> I understand how Sun's proprietary license is in very direct
> opposition to Debian policy. If kaffe or Japhar ever progress to
> something I can use, I will. (And yes, I've tried Kaffe recently
> and it does NOT WORK for my application.) I have finally decided
> that I will continue to use Debian, because of all the other reasons
> I have used it for years. As far as doing Java stuff. I just
> install all my Java utilities/libraries by hand.
>
> I mostly lurk on debian-java, because I have an interest in both.
> However, I have no immediate hope of those two ever meeting. If
> they do, great. If not, I'll continue to install the JDK and Jserv
> myself.
>
> ---- Cris J H
>
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