[Live-demo] XCsoar application to join OSGeo-Live

Mon Dec 10 14:39:28 PST 2012

Application for an application used by Glider pilots to join OSGeo-Live.

My assessment is:
1. It looks to be a stable application, with a strong community behind 
it which is good.
2. It is a very targeted application (for glider pilots). Is OSGeo-Live 
in a position to adopt this and many other targeted applications such as 
this? I'm inclined to say yes, if the project is widely used within the 
targeted community.

So I'm voting +1 to include XCsoar.

Any comments from others?

On 10/12/2012 11:26 PM, Scott Penrose wrote:
> Hi Cameron
>
> OK quick effort at the last moment...
>
>
> I won't try and get on the email list and send it may take too long. Is it ok to send to you. If not I can do it first thing in the morning.
>
>> 	• Please describe your application.
>> 		• What is its name?
> XCSoar
>
>> 		• What is the home page URL?
> http://xcsoar.org/
>
>> 		• Which OSI approved Open Source Licence is used?
> GPL
>
>> 		• What does the application do and how does it add value to the GeoSpatial stack of software?
> XCSoar is a tactical glide computer originally developed for the Pocket PC platform. In 2005, the originally commercial software was given to the open-source community for further development and has constantly been improved since. It is now a multi-platform application that currently runs on Windows, Windows Mobile, Unix and even Android devices.
>
> In many ways it is an end user of GeoSpacial data, importing lots of information, from terrain to maps, airspace to real time weather. XCSoar also produces content in the international standard IGC file format - International Gliding Commission,  Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
>
> Part of XCSoar is also publishing tracks after flights and even live tracking through child projects such as Sky Lines - http://skylines.xcsoar.org/
>
>> 		• Does the application make use of OGC standards? Which versions of the standards? Client or server? You may wish to add comments about how standards are used.
> Data used by XCSoar includes:
> * Maps - built using JPEG2000 from standard formats (very limited space on glide computers) - Terrain & Topology
> * Airspace - OpenAir format - standard for Aviation airspace
> * Waypoints - Lots of formats supported
> * Flarmnet - FLARM is the international anti collision system used (stand alone), this DB allows us to use Flarm data for identification
> * Waypoint details file - text file
> * Checklists - text file
>
>> 		• What language is it written in?
>
> C++
>
>> 		• Which version of the application should be included in the next OSGeo-Live release?
> STABLE - 6.4.4
>
>> 	• Stability is very important to us on OSGeo-Live. If a new user finds a bug in one application, it will tarnish the reputation of all other OSGeo-Live applications as well. (We pay most attention to the following answers):
>> 		• If risk adverse organisations have deployed your application into production, it would imply that these organisations have verified the stability of your software. Has the application been rolled out to production into risk (ideally risk adverse) organisations? Please mention some of these organisations?
> Not really. We know XCSoar is used by defence, and gliding pilots, hang gliders, para gliders and other aviation use it for 7+ hours each day. Pilots do not depend on the software for safety, but they do for competition. It is used in almost all gliding competitions across the world.
>
>> 		• What is the size of the user community? You can often answer this by mentioning downloads, or describing a healthy, busy email list?
> In Android via Google Play alone there is 509 ratings (4.7/5 stars) & 21,950 installs (that is not downloads, that is installs - which means if users have multiple devices they only get 1, and each new version still only registers 1 user).
>
> Gliding is relatively small, 2000+ pilots in Australia. The numbers of users on Mac, Windows, PocketPC, and dedicated devices (e.g. Altair) is not recorded.
>
>> 		• What is the size of your developer community?
> 10 very active (daily commit) developers. 50 developers over the last year.
>
>> 		• Do you have a bug free, stable release?
> Yes. As it is used in gliding competitions it is very important. Very quick community to update too.
>
>> 		• Please discuss the level of testing that your project has gone through.
> Built in unit testing. Lots of recent work in performance testing (it is important with older and small embedded devices). User testing by all "release candidates" before final stable builds.
>
> Code is all done in GIT, and all pulls are code reviewed and tested before merging.
>
>> 		• How long has the project has had mature code.
> 5 years. Slow period 3 years ago with fresh development team with now even more mature code in the last 2 years.
>
>> 	• OSGeo-Live is targeted at applications that people can use rather than libraries. Does the application have a user interface (possibly a command line interface) that a user can interact with? (We do make an exception for Incubated OSGeo Libraries, and will include Project Overviews for these libraries, even if they don't have a user interface.)
> Yes it is a GUI interface.
>
>> 	• We give preference to OSGeo Incubated Projects, or Projects which are presented at FOSS4G conferences. If your project is involved in OSGeo Incubation, or has been selected to be presented at FOSS4G, then please mention it.
> It has been at many conferences, including OSDC.com.au, but not FOSS4G (although I went when it was in Australia).
>
>> 	• With around 50 applications installed on OSGeo-Live, us core packagers do not have the time to liaise with every single project email list for each OSGeo-Live release. So we require a volunteer (or two) to take responsibility for liaising between OSGeo-Live and the project's communities. This volunteer will be responsible for ensuring the install scripts and English documentation are updated by someone for each OSGeo-Live release. Also test that the installed application and Quickstart documentation works as expected on release candidate releases of OSGeo-Live. Who will act as the project's liaison person.
> Scott Penrose <scottp at dd.com.au> - expert in XCSoar and Linux, happy to help.
>
>> 	• OSGeo-Live is Ubuntu Linux based. Our installation preference is:
>> 		• Install from UbuntuGIS or DebianGIS
>> 		• Install .deb files from a PPA
>> 		• Write a custom install script
> Probably just a custom install script for this release. Although it is fairly easy stand alone install.
>
>> Can you please discuss how your application will be installed.
>> 	• OSGeo-Live is memory and disk constrained. Can the application run in 512 Meg of RAM?
> Yes
>
>> 	• How much disk space will be required to install the application and a suitable example application?
> Approx 10MB
>
>> 	• We aim to reduce disk space by having all applications make use of a common dataset. We encourage applications to make use of the example datasets already installed:
>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Add_Project#Example_Datasets If another dataset would be more appropriate, please discuss here. Is it appropriate, to remove existing demo datasets which may already be included in the standard release.
> Unfortunately not possible, but the demo data set can be very constrained.
>
>> 	• Each OSGeo-Live application requires a Project Overview available under a CC By and a Quickstart available under a CC By-SA license. (You may release under a second license as well). Will you produce this?
> Yes
>
>> 	• In past releases, we have included Windows and Mac installers for some applications. It is likely we won't have space for these in future releases. However, if there is room, would you be wishing to include Windows and/or Mac installers?
> Yes we have a Mac and Windows installer. The data files can be common to all versions. There is also an Android, Pocket PC and other versions.
>
> Scott

-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Solutions Manager
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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