[OSGeo-Discuss] open-source project site construction

[Daniel Morissette]

On 11-03-03 11:54 AM, Robert Hollingsworth wrote:
>
> It has occurred to me that it would be useful to create
> an "Open-Source Project Starter Kit," a file structure
> consisting of the means to create and maintain a
> project, with none of the actual content. It's skeleton
> website definition would simply point at the
> unpopulated management components.
>
[...]
>
> Any ideas out there on the feasibility of something like
> this, how to construct, etc.? I know a starter kit such as
> this would be most attractive to the GITA audience I'll
> be speaking to if it as close as possible to being a
> one-button operation.
>

Hi Robert,

I think it would be challenging to come up with an "Open-Source Project 
Starter Kit" that really works. I mean, launching and running an open 
source project is not only about making the source available under the 
right project infrastructure and tools, it is also in large part a 
different way to build and manage software and its community of users 
and developers, and this knowledge does not come in a box.

The book "Producing Open Source Software" could be a good starting 
point: http://producingoss.com/

My personal advice to anyone willing to launch and run a successful open 
source project would be to join and contribute to existing successful 
open source project for a little while, then try to immerse yourself in 
the way they do things, and apply those tricks to your project.

Daniel
-- 
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/
Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000