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

Tue Dec 11 03:15:19 PST 2012

It looks good to me too.

+1 to include XCsoar.

Angelos

On 12/11/2012 12:39 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> 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
>
>

-- 
Angelos Tzotsos
Remote Sensing Laboratory
National Technical University of Athens
http://users.ntua.gr/tzotsos