COMMUNITY Free Software Projects

An up-to-date look at free software and its makers PROJECTS ON THE MOVE

Free software covers such a diverse range of utilities, applications, and other assorted projects, that it is hard to find the perfect tool. We pick the best of the bunch. This month, we’ll examine DRBD, Fink, and the

project leader election. BY MARTIN LOSCHWITZ

f there is one thing that the Chemnitz even though the BSD license allows it. Mac OS X. Apple offers the required Days 2005 made very clear, it And the fact that Apple has refused to developer files at [4]. Iis that Linux is ready for schools, uni- support efforts to develop drivers for its Mac users who would like to give Fink versities, and other educational institutes. standard WLAN solution, Airport a trial run do not even need to fire up a Projects on the Move has discussed the Extreme, for free operating systems, is compiler. You can simply install Fink Skolelinux [1] distribution in the past, not exactly in the spirit of the give back from one of the binary packages avail- but now the Skolelinux team is busy principle. able on the homepage at [3], and update preparing a new major release that will This lack of cooperation has led to the package list, and possibly Fink too, be based on Debian Version 3.1, also many Mac OS X opponents installing using the graphical . The front- known as Sarge, which will hopefully Linux on their Apple machines, whether end allows users to select packages for be the stable release by the time for political, philosophical, or technical automatic installation. Skolelinux appears. The developers’ aim reasons. The installation is not only is to introduce a mass of new features, time-consuming but also involves a few Old Friends such as more granular Internet access for hurdles for users migrating from 386- If you prefer a text-only console to a groups. based PCs. GUI-based front-end, Fink is still a good For those users who do not reject Mac choice. The gives you -get Mac OS X and Fink OS X on principle but simply want to for package installation – an old friend Mac OS X and the underlying Darwin [2] run their Linux applications, there is an for Debian users. This makes the Fink system are products that split the FOSS alternative to a complex Linux installa- developer’s choice of package manage- community. On the one hand, many tion. The Fink project [3] aims to port ment tool fairly obvious: the Debian Linux users also run Mac OS X, because popular tools and programs from the [5] manages this system is pre-installed on Macintosh world to Mac OS X and Darwin. any package you install on Fink. Users computers out of the box and the GUI Fink allows users to install a more-or- will appreciate the easy install and the has such a good reputation for being less complete Linux desktop on Mac OS ability to remove packages without intuitive and user-friendly. On the other X and to run the desktop without a leaving orphaned files on the system. hand, many users take a different view crippling emulation layer. The Fink The list of packages supported by Fink and reject Apple’s cate- developers rely on the fact that Darwin is impressively long. If you do not like gorically. The fact that Apple used a BSD has its roots in Unix. If a program runs the Mac OS X desktop, you can install kernel and is now distributing this as on a BSD system or on Linux, then in XFree86 and KDE, or Gnome. This takes part of its system riles many people, theory, at least, it should compile on the desktop very close to what you

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for the near future. For example, Version 0.8 will support more granular configu- ration options. Additionally, DRBD will soon be capable of grouping multiple computers to create a storage group. And the developers have already given DRBD the kind of performance that com- pares well with other solutions of this type (Figure 2). The Debian Project Leader Elections 2005 It’s election time: the Debian community has to decide who will be taking over the helm as the Debian Project Leader (DPL) next year. One thing is for sure, interest in the election is far greater than in recent years, as is evidenced by the fact that no less than six candidates have applied. In last year’s election, there were only three: the winner Martin Figure 1: Fink installs the Gimp image manipulation program on Mac OS X. Michlmayr, Branden Robinson, and Gergely Nagy, who ran just for fun. would expect from a Linux system. infrastructure will handle the rest. It The first developer to announce his Some packages are not available in connects the two computers and contin- candidature was Matthew Garrett binary versions, but the CVS or Rsync ually pushes data from the RDBS array (Figure 3). On his election platform [8], versions in the Fink repository are typi- on the primary to the secondary server, Matthew quotes the lack of communica- cally up to date. Users have the ability to just like a RAID 1 array. tion between individual members of the build any programs they might be miss- A third machine on the network acts project as the biggest issue. In his opin- ing with a few shell commands. Fink has as a heartbeat server and regularly ion, this is also the reason why there has no trouble handling a mixture of binary checks to see if the primary is up. If the not been a new Debian release for over and source packages (Figure 1). The pre- primary goes down, the heartbeat server 30 months. Garrett would like to mium models in the Fink package collec- contacts the second machine, which improve understanding, especially tion [6] are Wget, Apache, and Gimp. then takes over the role of the primary between people with diametrically server. A journaling filesystem allows opposed opinions. Scenarios in which Network RAID with DRBD this process to complete without affect- two developers should be working hand In a professional environment, it is ing availability. When the primary server in hand, but do not do so because of extremely important to have a backup comes back online, it contacts the new conflicting interests, keep on cropping system that immediately assumes the primary server and assumes the role of up – especially in the context of the dis- responsibilities of a failed system. To be the secondary server. tribution’s kernel packages – and hold able to do this, the backup system needs DRBD works really well and the devel- up the development process. the disk content of the primary system. opers have more features in the pipeline High availability systems solve this prob- New Project lem by using storage networks that con- Structure nect to multiple machines via SCSI con- In his election cam- trollers, and thus give these machines paign [8], Andreas access to the same set of data. On the Schuldei suggests a downside, the hardware is expensive. completely different The DRBD (“Distributed Remote Block approach for the Device”) project [7] adopts a completely Debian project. He different approach with a 1Gbit Ethernet also views internal connection assuming the role of the communication as the storage network. Two machines on the biggest issue, and network load a special kernel module puts this down to the which interfaces with the Soft Raid working climate, Layer. One of the computers is con- which has been dete- figured as the primary and the other as riorating for years. He the secondary server. Computer 1 just Figure 2: In the performance stakes, DRBD is already a hot has a multipart solu- needs an RDBS array and the RDBS performer. tion for a shorter

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release cycle: first of all, he ning for DPL – as he tion were consulted about this plan; we would like to put together had done in previous also think these issues are deeper than groups of people with com- years. Many Debian can be fixed with a three month analy- mon interests who will be developers urged him sis. Furthermore, we do not believe this happy to collaborate on to run for election. to be a good-faith effort to address the common projects. Regular Pointing out that he relevant issues, given past behavior of meetings on IRC and in real had always come sec- the candidate.” [11] life will help improve coop- ond in recent elections, In rebuttals on their campaign plat- eration. Branden posted an forms, the candidates can respond to Andreas Schuldei also appeal in the Debian- their fellow candidates ideas. The intends to integrate the Pro- Vote mailing list before unusually active election run up has led ject Leader into the group Figure 3: Matthew Garrett, he took the plunge, to a high volume of traffic on the model. If he wins the elec- who is running for Debian asking developers who Debian-Vote mailing list [12]. It is diffi- tion, Andreas promises not Project Leader, aims to wanted him to run for cult to guess the outcome. The develop- to keep the reins of power shorten the release cycle. election to let him ers have until April 11 to decide, so by to himself, but to nominate know. After receiving the time you read this, the election will a group that will work with him to fulfill 100 messages of support, Brendan finally already be over. The results will be pub- the DPL’s allotted tasks. The group decided to stand for election. lished at [13]. structure would definitely change the Branden Robinson’s campaign [8] has decision making process within the very little in the line of new content; the That’s all folks… Debian project and take the project section about his goals simply contains a … for this month at least, but I do have towards a more democratic path. link to last year’s text, where he called one request before I go: If you can for more cooperation between develop- recommend a program that you would The Role of the Project ers and more efficiency. To achieve this, like to see featured in Projects on the Leader Branden suggests a similar approach to Move, why not mail me with your Angus Lees’ campaign platform [8] tells the one put forward by Andreas suggestion [14]? I look forward to your a completely different story of the DPL’s Schuldei, envisaging the delegation of comments! ■ role. Angus views the DPL as a spokes- tasks to smaller groups. In line with this, person and would like to introduce Branden names Andreas Schuldei as a INFO Debian to as many people as possible potential partner for cooperation, and [1] Skolelinux: http://www.skolelinux.org if he wins. Agnus views internal prob- vice versa. [2] Darwin: lems as the responsibility of the deve- http://developer.apple.com/darwin/ lopers rather than the Project Leader. Controversy [3] Fink: http://fink.sourceforge.net/ This is reminiscent of the current DPL: Jonathan Walther is the black sheep in Martin Michlmayr has also spent a lot the eyes of many developers. His cam- [4] Apple Connect: of time representing Debian at fairs and paign platform [8] does not have much http://connect.apple.com/ other events. to offer content-wise. He calls for a six- [5] DPKG: http://packages.debian.org/ Many Debian developers were sur- month release cycle but without saying unstable/base/dpkg.html prised to hear that Anthony Towns was anything about how to implement it. But [6] Fink package list: running for DPL. Many know him as the this is not what people tend to point to http://fink.sf.net/pdb/index.php Debian Release Manager, although when asked about Jonathan Walther: up [7] DRBD: http://www.drbd.org/ Anthony stepped down from this posi- to a few months ago, his homepage [9] [8] Debain Project Leader campaign plat- tion a few month’s ago in protest against is reported to have had links to a variety forms: http://www.debian.org/vote/ the release mechanism. On his campaign of websites making controversial claims. 2005/platforms platform [8], Anthony criticizes the inef- His platform page at the Debian site [9] Jonathan Walther: ficiency of the project more than any- states that he will assemble a panel of http://reactor-core.org/~djw/ thing else. To improve effi- stakeholders to discuss [10] Alexander Wirt’s blog: http://www. ciency, he would like to issues of gender bias formorer.de/~formorer/blog/ integrate work by external within Debian, and he blosxom.cgi/2005/03/03#krooger1 developers in a more mean- even names the people he [11] Email from Erinn Clark: ingful way and even the will appoint to the panel. http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/ path for new developers to Some of the stakeholders 2005/03/msg00014.html join project. on his list, however, have [12] Debian-Vote archive: http://lists. expressed doubt about the debian.org/debian-vote/ Time After Time… idea. Erinn Clark, from Just before the nomination Figure 4: After several Debian Women, posted a [13] DPL Election 2005: http://www. debian.org/vote/2005/vote_001 deadline expired, Branden unsuccessful attempts, statement saying, “None Robinson (Figure 4), stated Branden Robinson is the of the individuals listed in [14] Tips and suggestions: that he would again be run- “perennial number two.” the gender imbalance sec- [email protected]

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