[ros-web] ReactOS 'Support Database' for the new ReactOS Homepage

Tue Aug 23 22:27:21 CEST 2005

ReactOS 'Support Database' for the new ReactOS Homepage

I wrote down a lot of ideas, questions, soulutions, 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 it is possible for you please write comments to the
ros-dev at reactos.com mailing list! Thanks!

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