[Rule] [Fwd: Detect library]

[M. Fioretti]

On Sat, Jan 19, 2008 16:13:18 PM +0100, Alexandre Dussart
 alexandre.dussart at laposte.net  wrote:

> I'm the author of detect library and I've found your project on
> freshmeat. I'm trying to maintain and improve detect library so
> I've some questions:

Alexandre,

thanks for your support. Personally, I have not tried the latest
detect version, nor I have specific suggestions, for the simple, sad
reason that my time to work on these topics seems to be shrinking
every quarter.

I _imagine_, without any evidence to support it, that it is useful to
have support for devices 2/3 years old, since many computers dismissed
by businesses are of that age. Probably detect already has this
capability, but it doesn't hurt to note it.

I can confirm, however, that the need for systems like slinky-detect,
that is something that allows you to:

- plug object (floppy, usb key) into a computer
- turn computer on
- count to 100 or wait until you hear one beep
- plug computer off
- repeat for all other computers in the warehouse
- go back to office
- plug object into office computer
- get web pages or printed report with all the hardware of all the computer
  you visited

that is the need to make even people who couldn't tell a computer by a
toaster able to collect and share this kind of data certainly
exists. I have seen several times on other mailing lists of charities
who refurbish donated computers concerns for how long it takes to
inventory everything they get and how difficult it is if you aren't a
computer geek.1

> -What do you need (features...)?

considering what I wrote above, I'd say what is generally needed is
integration between detect's output and databases, that is scripts
that transform that output in sql instructions and feed it to a database.

> -What about your project?

See my other message of today to the list. Good things are coming, I
believe.

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