[osgeo4w-dev] Steps Forward for OSGeo4W

[Alex Mandel]

On 04/09/2013 10:18 PM, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> Folks,
>
> Jurgen, Paolo, Tamas and I had a small private discussion on
> issues with OSGeo4W and things that might be done.  I'd like to
> return this discussion now to the main list for the community at
> large.
>
> I'll summarize the items I'm keen on:
>
> 1) I think it is time to establish an OSGeo4W Project Steering
> Committee as a means to ensure that decisions can actually get
> made with regard to OSGeo4W.  I'd be willing to draft some
> preliminary documents in this regard and I'd like to suggest at
> least Jürgen Fischer, Tamas Szekeres, Matt Wilkie and myself as
> initial members.  Also perhaps Hirofumi Hayashi or one of the other
> folks who worked on the Japanese support and related improvements?
>
> 2) I'd like to see us move a central development server on which
> many of the core packages (mostly libraries) can be rebuilt by any
> of the core developers to make it easier to do upgrades, and to take
> care of important packages.  Alex Mandel has provided a windows VM
> at UCDavis that I hope might be suitable for this purpose.
>
> 3) I'd like to see us think about 64 windows support.  It might mean
> supporting 32bit and 64bit or even leaping as far as just shipping
> 64 bit binaries.
>
I see dual support for now being acceptable and possible, phasing out 32 
bit eventually.

> 4) I'd like to see us put a little more process into place for testing
> and perhaps actually assemble periodic releases in a working area
> without subjecting the world to breakage when someone (often me)
> breaks a low level package.
>
> I'd appreciate feedback from the community on the above, and
> suggestions of other issues of importance.  Most importance in
> some ways is the PSC idea as settling that makes other items
> easier to work out with some conclusiveness.
>
> Best regards,

I'm in favor of all of these ideas and can provide several virtual 
machines for building and testing. I also have access to any version of 
Windows we need for use on such machines, through University site licensing.

I'll also offer my coworkers as people willing to test builds in regular 
usage. Sadly none of us are proficient in solving compiling issues for 
windows.

Thanks,
Alex