Re: [ros-dev] ReactOS 'Support Database' for the new ReactOS Homepage (ideas, goals, questions)

[David Johnson]

SkyOS also has a good example.

On 8/23/05, Klemens Friedl <klemens_friedl(a)gmx.net> wrote:
>   
>  ReactOS 'Support Database' for the new ReactOS Homepage
>  
>  
>  I wrote down a lot of ideas, questions, soulutions, goals, etc. for the
>  upcoming Support Database!
>  We need more ideas, suggestions, comments, etc! Please read the whole text
>  and then write an email to the mailing list! This text should start
>  discussion about that topic !!!
>  
>  Thanks!
>  
>  
>  
>  Note:
>  
>  * some of the ideas are not completely new, i copy&paste the from winehq's
>  newsletter archive (i quoted the winehq's ideas and add the original post
>  date)!
>  
>  * I have added some useful links at the of the text! Please try out the
>  links and explore the compatibility databases from other projects! You will
>  need it if you want to join the discussion. And I *hope* a lot of persons
>  join the discussion! So please visite the links and write down what could be
>  better or what's key features our database also should *clone*!
>  
>  
>  
>  The 'Support Database' will contain the following 'databases':
>  
>  * Compatibility Database (application, driver and hardware)
>  * Package Database (a list of download-able applications/driver; principal
>  for the ReactOS Package Manager)
>  (* Media Database (like the ReactOS Fansite Media Database; maybe we can
>  implement this later))
>  
>  
>  The 'Support Database' (project codename 'RosDB') will base on the
> package
>  manager alpha page that i have created april 2005.
>  
>  Note: the package database will be combined with the compatibility datbase.
>  Both 'databases' will share the same 'application tree'! So it will be
> easy
>  e.g. you browse the compatibility db, you found a working app and think, "i
>  also want to download this app", then you will be able to click on a link
>  (on a central position) and you will be redirected to the package database.
>  In near future it should be possible (if you run ReactOS or Win32 with
>  installed and runing ReactOS Package Manager), that you can select your
>  favorite apps/driver you want to install (navigation like
>  amazone/ebay/compatibility db) and then click install (a normal link on the
>  package manager page) and your running (maybe as a service) ReactOS Package
>  Manager check/capture every clipboard item and if it is a valid 'package
>  style link' then it will connect to the online database and download all the
>  selected apps/driver and download it from mirror server (from their
>  developers/sourceforge/etc.) and then install all items (without or with
>  minimum of user interaction). In my (frik85) opinion, that would be one of
>  the 'hottest' feature someone can imagine (in connection with a homepage,
>  package manager, etc.).
>  This feature will became a main feature and everyone will use that *hope*
>  for ReactOs and also possible for Win32 (from MS). :) -- frik85
>  
>  
>  
>  "ReactOS Compatibility Database
>  ReactOS has an Compatibility Database where Windows
>  application/driver/hardware compatibility is recorded. Registered users can
>  submit new items, and comment on existing ones. Screen shots are also
>  available for many apps. Users can also vote on their favorite apps." -- a
>  possible description
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  Design goals User wants to know following things:
>  
>  * Does my application/driver/hardware work?
>  * How can I make it work?
>  * Does it work in the new ReactOS/application/driver/hardware version?
>  * Where can i download the application (maybe with the ReactOS Package
>  Manager)?
>  
>  * list all working and non working application/driver/hardware
>  
>  
>  
>  Management Issues/Goals:
>  
>  
>  We need a high 'input data quality', then the administration work will be a
>  minimum.
>  To reach this high data quality, i want to code a simple to use wizard for
>  the 'submit item' page.
>  You can view the sample wizard on the package manager alpha page (see link).
>  
>  
>  Have some form of a moderation system to let end users know the quality of a
>  given persons entry.
>  Maybe like the appDB from winehq? Where a registered user can ask for a kind
>  of moderator right for one specific item (e.g. application), so he can
>  manage the comments, add new info, etc.
>  -> taking ownership of an item (e.g. application): monitor comments on it,
>  track bugs (close bugs), and make sure quality level is high for application
>  description.
>  
>  
>  NO redundant entries for the same product! We need moderators who review all
>  new entries. The moderators should be able to read as many comments as
>  possible and help the normal users, report bugs to the bugzilla system, etc.
>  
>  
>  Reviews (aka user comments) should expire. (expire time 1 year?)
>  
>  
>  Track hit counts on each item (auto magic way of knowing which apps are most
>  desired) and maybe voting like in appDB (WineHQ) or in C4 (CodeWeaver).
>  
>  
>  Some ideas i found in old winehq's neewsletters: (maybe useful for our
>  project!)
>  
>  "Idea: Tie the apps database to the api database. The idea is that we know
>  from the apps database which apps are the most popular. We know from the api
>  database which DLLs/entry points are used by those apps. We can then create
>  a report out of the api database of the list of the DLLs most needed by the
>  top ten apps, and then people writing test scripts (something Alexandre and
>  John Sturtz are working on), have a prioritized todo list. Again, this helps
>  us find useful things for the many volunteers to do." -- winehq newsletter
>  from 18 Oct 2000
>  
>  Note: maybe a good idea to create such a api database; -> a simalar api
>  status output is currently generated from the svn server (with a small
>  console based application, see build tools).
>  You can view the api status on the svn server. A great chance to import the
>  data to the database and make the idea above possible! The only question, is
>  it usefull for someone? -- frik85
>  
>  
>  
>  "Idea: Tie the apps database to bugzilla. If users have a problem with an
>  app, it's a bug, and should be in bugzilla. If we can get to a point where
>  we can easily get a report that says 'here are all the bugs that Quicken
>  depends on'. Or, here are the five bugs, the fixing of which will make 50
>  apps suddenly work. This would be wicked cool." -- winehq newsletter from 18
>  Oct 2000
>  
>  Note: the bugzilla will be a subsystem of the RosCMS, so it will be (maybe)
>  possible to implement the idea above. Is something like this usefull for
>  someone? -- frik85
>  
>  
>  "if we add some 'relay statistics' in Wine code (of course, there will be
>  problems with COM objects where relaying does not work for now) and
>  incorporate these statistics in the database, we could have a list of the
>  most frequently used Windows calls.
>  (feel free to add new ideas for improvements :-) )" -- winehq newsletter
>  from 28 Dec 2000
>  
>  "He [who take ownership of an item] definitely should have the application
>  installed and, very preferably, he should also be using it regularly (or
>  testing it regularly if it is not yet in the usable state). You are right in
>  pointing out that he cannot test all possible but I contend he does not have
>  to. His role would be to:
>  read the comments entered in the application's comment section.
>  engage into a discussion with the users who post interesting tricks,
>  information, report a sub-version as not working, report problems with a
>  specific Wine/Windows combination
>  extract and summarize the above in his application status report. This
>  section would come first in the application's page and only the application
>  maintainer would be allowed to modify it (whether it's strictly enforced or
>  not is another issue)
>  test the application regularly and update the information on the
>  application's page
>  help users having problems with that application " -- winehq newsletter from
>  28 Dec 2000
>  
>  
>  "Jeremy White proposed some scheme to help keeping the database usable: I
>  think the biggest problem with the app database is that we get garbage in,
>  it produces garbage out. I think we should not report or even use any user
>  scores until a trusted app db maintainer has validated that user experience
>  (and possibly users can become trusted reporters). Too many people say 'Hey!
>  The main screen came up! That's a 5! Witness the Slashdot post about MS
>  Office 2k. (anyone actually try to use Office 2K in Wine to author a sizable
>  document?)." -- winehq newsletter from 28 Dec 2000
>  
>  
>  
>  The information we will gain from the support database
>  
>  * the progress of ReactOS (for devs and normal user)
>  * the most wanted applications (when we implement a voting / hit counts
>  feature)
>  * a reference for application/driver/hardware that doesn't work without
>  tweaking, to get them working
>  * people may be able taking 'ownership' of an application and do regular bug
>  reports / regression testings).
>  
>  
>  
>  Several questions, where we need a answer:
>  
>  "How to 'classify' applications ?: the main point was how an application
>  should be identified (think of Word 5 vs. WinWord 5 cs. Word 7.0, and lots
>  of other quirks (limited versions, demo version, patched versions...)
>  What information should we have about an application ?: this would help in
>  knowing the correct context of execution of such an application (target
>  Windows version, used DLLs, used APIs...)" -- winehq newsletter from 28 Dec
>  2000
>  
>  
>  * And about a ReactOS releases ?
>  * How about scoring ?
>  * What additional information should one application/driver/hardware have?
>  
>  
>  
>  We need as much ideas, (feedback after the relaunch/while the testing
>  phase), comments, (and flames) as possible the next weeks. After the website
>  relaunch We need volunteers to take responsibility for updating Apps in the
>  Compatibility Database.
>  
>  
>  We need to discuss this!
>  
>  Then after the discussions ... only remains the hours of coding and
>  debugging to put it in place :)
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  Compatibility Databases from other projects:
>  
>  http://appdb.winehq.org/
>  http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/
>  http://www.linuxcompatible.org/compatibility.html
>  http://www.ntcompatible.com/compatibility.html
>  
>  http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx
>  ttp://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/search.asp
>  http://hardwaredb.suse.de/index.php?LANG=en_UK
>  http://www.testingstandards.co.uk/compatibility_-_database.htm
>  http://www.yellowtab.com/support/hardware/
>  http://www.iyonix.com/software/
>  http://www.ardi.com/compat_search.php?name=ALL&category=ALL&status=…
>  
>  
>  A kind of Package Database:
>  http://rpmseek.com/index.html?hl=en
>  
>  
>  If you know other websites that should be listed here, please write an email
>  to the mailing list!
>  
>  
>  Best regards,
>  Klemens Friedl <frik85>
>  
>  
>  PS: if you write a comment, do NOT quote whole passages or do NOT quote the
>  whole text! The reason, emails should be readable ...
>  
>  --
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>   

-- 
David Johnson
http://www.davefilms.us