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

Wed Aug 24 06:06:22 CEST 2005

SkyOS also has a good example.

On 8/23/05, Klemens Friedl <klemens_friedl at 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=ALL
> 
> 
> 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