[oi-dev] [discuss] Re: basis for better collaboration on illumos and OpenIndiana: small circle, Big circle

[Joerg Schilling]

seth Nimbosa <darth.serious at gmail.com> wrote:

> The reason we need a minimum of criteria for collaboration is precisely
> because the different distributions have different focus, approach, and use
> case scenarios in mind, but a set of core features that will make it to a
> unified kernel will be for everyone's benefit.  Additional layers will be
> built upon this basic core and the abstraction of these feature-sets and
> their encapsulation from the layers below and above it will ensure that
> there is more or less a predictable and uniform way each of these layers
> interact together and how they behave on top of the core.  I mean each
> distro-specific feature-set will be spun out and encapsulated into separate
> layers of development on top of the kernel (and these layers will be
> slightly or wildly different in each distribution) but the core will remain
> mainly intact but dynamically developed jointly by the different distros in
> an upstream manner.

Layers can be put on top of something that is able to support the potential 
layers.

If you e.g. create a too small floor slab, you will have no space for a terrace 
at your house.

If we like to have success with a common development base, we need to create 
such a base in a way that does not prevent some of the participants from 
implementing their goals. This of course only works if the participants have a 
veto right for changes that might compromise their goals. Do you believe that 
we will be able to have a moderated discussion that leads to such a common base?

I suspect that this is the most critical part.

> The tug and pull of Jorg and Peter's arguments is healthy for our
> community.  This way we can strike a balance between the tyranical standard
> approach with a rigid set of feature compliance and the very fuzzy
> definition of what OpenSolaris-based distros are evolving into.  By keeping
> our criteria for collaboration at a minimum, we are inviting more synergy
> between developers on the basic general stuff and at the same time
> promoting more choices how to implement different solutions to the same
> familiar problems and opening more ways to implement new solutions to needs
> unforeseen or poorly addresed before.

Such a minimum will not be created if the common base is missing features.
We need to find a way to agree on what must be in the minimum set of the common 
base and we need to agree on how to add new things.


> > I am willing to give other people enough room and I guess that you would
> do the same. So let us see whether OI is willing to colaborate. As I
> mentioned since a long time: OpenSolaris has not enough people to make each
> job twice, so we need to collaborate if we like OpenSolaris to survive.
> ???>
> ???>
> ???> Jörg
>
> We must put this to practice.
> I believe the best is yet to come for free OpenSolaris-based systems.

I mentioned that we would need a moderator, if you take this role, let's see 
what we can achieve.

Jörg

-- 
 EMail:joerg at schily.isdn.cs.tu-berlin.de (home) Jörg Schilling D-13353 Berlin
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