Re: ANNOUNCE: Request For Proposals

[Nahuel Greco]

Adam: Sorry, i send this mail to your private address :)

On Thu, 11 Oct 2001 11:40:57 -0600
Adam Fedor <fedor@doc.com> wrote:

> 
> If you are interested, please submit a proposal for what you would
> like to do to improve GNUstep. This could involve something on the
> current task list, or perhaps it could involve something you think is
> critical to getting GNUstep more widely accepted (marketing, a new
> application, etc). The project should last less than six months.
> 
> All proposals will be judged by our crack team of GNUstep developers
> for the one with the best merit.
> 

Im an outside developer, i dont use GNUStep yet... but im following (after all,
im in the list :) it closely. My suggestions are based in the difficult that
a developer has to become GNUStep developer.

* Improve the Debian GNUStep Packages.
          Debian is becoming the distribution of choice for the developers and
          the experienced linux users. I dont understand why LastStep is based
          in linux-from-scratch, Debian is also the best base for "special
          linux distributions", only adding packages to it (check for example,  
          the Debian Base Demudi Distro at:
              http://benares.centrotemporeale.it/~demudi/main/main.php3

          Make Debian the _default_ distribution of GNUStep (It sounds logical,
          debian is the GNU Distro :), keep all the packages up to date, add
          the packages that not are now in the pool (ej, gorm). That also adds
          a central repository for all the gstep applications/components
          multi-platform binaries & source, and their dependencies.

          Make a menu in Debian menu system, one like the "KDE Apps" or "GNOME
          apps", but with the GNUStep apps.

          (Note, there are projects to port apt-get to win32, etc,
           then, GS will be automatically installed by them in that
           platforms.)
        
* Continue the work on the python-objc bridge

        Integrate in project center. There was a SIG in the python page to 
this. 
        A scripting language like python will add a lots of developers, and will
        improve the GS learning curve. Ruby is another good candidate.

* Add "philosophical" Documents

        I dont know if you can do something like Evolutionary Programming in
        ObjC, as in Smalltalk, but is very important to show the features of
        ObjC over C++ (KDE) and C (GNOME).

* Make lots of cool GUI Demos, eye-candy ones, maybe with 3DKit, etc.

* Make tools that an external developer will use for non-GS tasks.

        I mean, if you do a TextEditor, embeddable, scriptable a la emacs with
        python and DPS as display engine, with their internal API (obviusly,
        GStep one :) exposed to scripting, the outside developers will start to
        appreciate GS.

* Add C++ mixed with ObjC support to gcc.


Mm.. later my head will think more :)

- Nahuel Greco                 Web Development - Open Source - 
- http://www.codelarvs.com.ar  Game Programming - Research   -
- Freelance coding / sysadmin  Networking. The answer is 42. -