On 12-03-12 4:19 , grafxuser wrote:
Hi,
it was easier for new developers to contribute, if they had a
ready-to-use development environment.
Not everybody wanting to help, is a born Linux administrator by
himself to setup a suitable programming environment. There are many
Windows or Mac users, who'd like to help, but are helpless themselves
in setting up the necessary environment and keeping it up to date.
How about a pre-built developer virtual machine, created with say SUSE
factory and downloadable from the GIMP developers page? I guess, there
a projects out there, which already provide the service of building
ready-to-use VM's, like Turnkey Linux. Linux distributions nowadays
have a package manager to constantly update the VM, so the main effort
would be once.
Alexia replied:
> If a developer can't set up his/her own environment, they cant do the
job. Period. We don't even accept GSoC students who have not done this
before applying. And honestly, its not rocket science. Just stuff you
HAVE TO know as a developer. Things gimp depends on etc. There are
plenty of advice and scripts for linux and even mac. Build environment
on windows is a bit more complex... and is contributing on windows.
Alexia, with all possible and imaginable respect I have for you (I truly
do) and all other great girls and guys here:
'...Just stuff you HAVE TO know...', sounds like an awful thing to say
now that you have mastered it. It sounds as if you're burning bridges
with an elitist smirk. I haven't seen a person yet born with knowledge
of setting up a development environment. Did you forget? I am sure
someone taught you how to do it, and someone showed you how to setup
your environment. Maybe you learned on your own, but even so, you read
stuff that someone wrote, so that you can learn and create and push the
whole thing further than that person before you (which you do
admirably!). I am sorry if I said it too harshly, I am trying to get my
opinion across.
I believe deeply that one key aspect of open/free paradigm is that we
don't close any pathways to learning and knowledge. In this respect,
grafxuser's suggestion sounds valid and, it is my opinion, could provide
a fundamental perspective on approaching GIMP development for the young
blood. What could go wrong? (famous last words, I know, but really...) A
ready-made environment could only provide a playground for 'younglings'.
They can do whatever they want with it and just maybe even submit an
awful patch here and there; or even take the environment apart and learn
how to setup their environments. One thing is certain. Those awful
patches, they will get better and better with time, and they will be
awful no more. They just might be brilliant, who knows? And who knows,
maybe there would be a new generation of GIMP developers. Maybe not, but
then again, maybe yes.
I am not suggesting a 'GIMP dev school' (not now, at least ;). You are
right, there are lots and lots of sources online with info. It might not
appear so to you, but to an initiate, that info is a loosely connected
network of mixed structured info and personal notes, sometimes
obsolete... Since you girls and guys are so far ahead in this, it is
astonishingly brave for anyone to dedicate time to at least catch up
with you. In my opinion, grafxuser's idea would provide a bit of a
shortcut there, wouldn't it? And, considering the correspondences on
GIMP mailing list, about the lack of developers, I get the impression
that it is not the time to be picky.You know a lot more than me on this
topic, do you think that a ready-made environment would not be worth the
effort?
Alexandre said:
>Sure, make it.
I do agree with this. Being one of the ignorant, I would like to
collaborate with others on this idea.
...
Food for thought...
It was mentioned before in the context of GIMP users, but maybe it is
applicable to developer community, too...
(yahvuu provided a great read considering this:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2004/10/defending-perpetual-intermediacy.html
) It seems that GIMP community is missing the 'middle' zone. There are
masters up there, and there are people down there that try to initiate
themselves in (and often loose steam), and then there is a void in the
middle. Hope it does not offend anyone, GIMP community resembles an
aging nation, in a way. ;)
Cheers!
Alex
_______________________________________________
gimp-developer-list mailing list
[email protected]
http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gimp-developer-list
