On Sun, Feb 03, 2008 at 11:30:03AM +0200, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> As another example, check out graphviz. From version 1 to version 2
> (I think) they moved from a custom configurator to the autotools.
> Beside totally losing Plan 9 portability in the bargain, it is my
> impression that they spent more effort on the autotools details than
> in improving graphviz itself.
Of course they did, that's what most FOSS projects do:
1. Find a perfectly good software package that has been "stuck" in
version 1.x for years (meaning it's been debugged and already
does everything it needs to do)
2. Register a SourceForge page for the "next generation" version
3. Replace the working build system with autoconf crap
4. Release the new package as version 2.0 (meaning 2.0 times the size)
And of course:
5. Release version 2.1, now with ANSIfied color output!
Now you too can get the street cred of "maintaining" a well-known software
package without understanding anything about the original code.
