[Rule-list] Web site structure, was: I need Slinky. Where is it?

[Marco Fioretti]

Hello,

I agree that:

  The current server, courtesy of Rodolfo, could not provide
  the full bandwidth for ISO/rpms transfers

  Even if now the home page lists the last three updated packages
  and the sw map (www.rule-project.org/en/sw/) lists them all it is
  not clear yet where to find what

In general, what the project needs is (please fill in what I forgot)

  1) Web space with PHP + MySQL capabilities
  2) Mailing list with (at least) decent online archives, and
     possibility to hide members list, and to download raw
     archives
  3) FTP server
  4) CVS
  5) (later on?) some task/bugs tracking system

Right now we are getting service 1) from Rodolfo's server, 2, 4, and 5
(latest almost unused) from Savannah, 3) from Michaels personal server
and some other places.

Originally I chose Savannah over sourceforge because there were
privacy/Free SW concerns over the policies of the latter (can't
remember which ones anymore, look in the enigma/rule archives): I
wrote to Sourceforge asking clarifications, and am still waiting for
an answer 

Maybe Rodolfo might also provide mailing list, I don't know

The current structure of the web site is (wants to be) as follow:

a) ALL software produced for RULE (miniconda, slinky...) or from 3rd
   parties, but useful for the project has an entry in the MySQL
   database, listing home page, source, RPM, memory requirements,
   dependencies, and whatever else we want to add. 
   Right now data can only be entered by the administrative interface,
   I'm studying some mechanism where everybody can submit entries via
   a web form, they go by email to me and/or this list so it can be
   checked if it is complete and actually interesting for RULE, then I
   add it to the database. Michael ( and, in the future, also other
   developers) already has direct access to the DB. Michael, you did
   receive the instructions, didn't you?

b) RULE info not specific to any package (selection criteria, etc...)
   goes into: www.rule-project.org/en/docs/ . docs/index.php would
   list all the single pages in that directory

c) packages by third parties are simply pointed from from MySQL
   database. If somebody else already does it, why duplicate? For
   example, a blackbox RPM for psyche is already on freshrpms.net 

d) Packages that we maintain/provide (slinky, DAn, popfilter,
   kdrive..) should have one home page each in
   www.rule-project.org/en/sw/ This page would list alternate FTP
   server, links to specific documentation, how to contact the
   maintainer...., and would be reachable from sw/index.php: remember
   that that page will offer search options too: latest 5, only window
   managers, whatever

Of course, any critique/suggestion to the above structure
is welcome, but, as far as I am concerned:

web pages could be everywhere, as long as it has php, mysql, and
ssh/scp access (Rodolfo should provide the last too from January)
Every mirror with the same capabilities is welcome

every ftp/cvs server we use should have fast (=command line,
scriptable) access: web access too for upload (a.k.a. "I'll burn a CD,
and upload everything from the office ;-) " is nice too, of course

what REALLY matters is that every INFORMATION (urls, etc... ) is in the
MySQL database: once this is granted, we can switch FTP servers every
other week, and the end users will (almost) never notice. The same
applies to web page layout. For example, once the RULE ISO is in
there, adding a big "DOWNLOAD LATEST ISO" link on every page, always
pointing by itself to the latest version, is trivial.

Even when we come to mirror everywhere in several places, it takes one
hour to change every "download" link to an automatically generated
page that says: "download package foo from any of the links below".
Changing that "download" link to a link to the Sourceforge page which
offer the same service would be just as easier.

Conclusions:

1) let's chose whatever FTP/CVS site you find best
2) please look close at www.rule-project.org/en/sw/ as it is today and
   request features/improvements
3) same as above for the new, (soon dynamic) site map:
   www.rule-project.org/en/rulemap.php
   signal errors, and contribute (see also my previous post here on
   this last argument)

Oops, the kids just woke up... See you tonight guys

	Ciao,
		Marco Fioretti  



_______________________________________________
Rule Project HOME PAGE:  http://www.rule-project.org/rule/
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