CSuite Workshop Notes: 961204 and Agenda

Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 08:54:24 -0400
From: Edward Dyer <aa146@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: Chebucto Suite Development List <CSuite-Dev@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Hi Developers!
	Notes from last Wednesday, attached below: 

The development notes are always available at
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Chebucto/Technical/CSuiteWorkshop/Minutes/Entry.html
or go technical and follow the links.

Proposed agenda for December 11: (We will have to cut this back to a 
manageable size when the meeting begins.  ;-)

   Wednesday 11 December 1996
   Agenda
   Robot Control
   Distribution Plans and Progress
   Restructuring CSuite Workshop and Techteam
   Translation
   Manual Update
   Testing
   Public Access Terminals
   Input from Other Committees

+Ed

Ed Dyer aa146@chebucto.ns.ca   (902) H 826-7496  CCN  Assistant Postmaster
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~aa146/    W 426-4894  CSuite Technical Workshop
Religion Page Editor, Chebucto Community Network http://www.chebucto.ns.ca


                    CSuite Community Networking Software
                                      
                  CSuite Workshop Notes - December 4, 1966
                                      
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
   Next December 11, 1996
   
   Previous November 27, 1996
   
   Return to CSuite Workshop Index
   
Preliminary Agenda:

     * Distribution Plans and Progress
     * Testing
     * Tupdate Editor
     * Translation
     * Manual Update
     * System Installation Schedule
     * Restructuring CSuite Workshop
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Distribution Plans and Progress

   Landon Boyd brought us up to date with current distribution plans:
   Alpha 5 distribution is expected to be ready the end of this week with
   a follow-up Alpha 5.1 in a week or so later if significant problems
   are reported and resolved. In January we plan either Alpha 6 or Beta
   1, depending on the state of documentation.
   
   Landon is developing an option chooser for the installation, but it is
   not expected to be ready for the next release, as we are not yet clear
   on all the dependencies.
   
   Nightly installs are continuing on soltst and need testing. Login as
   guest and register for your own account, and then report on what you
   can break! ;-)
   
   Discussion ensued as to where we should report back the testing
   results, and it was agreed that CSuite-Tech@chebucto.ns.ca was
   appropriate for that traffic.
   
   Csuite-Dev@chebucto.ns.ca will continue to be used for more general
   and external development issues, and CCN-tech would continue to serve
   for local tech-team issues not related to development.
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Testing

  Bug reports
  
   David Murdoch reported on a convention he has adopted, and recommends,
   for formatting Testing Bug reports in a mail message
   To: CSuite-Tech@chebucto.ns.ca:
Subject: host: Short Problem Description

<paste in file URL from info page>

<paste in output>

<note problems observed, inputs given, etc. as appropriate>

  Testing Tools
  
   We need some tools for checking out CSuite systems, to verify that all
   the needed parts of the system are available and functional.
   
   For example,
     * Find all required binaries and check locations against paths and
       permissions, (and versions?)
     * Check that all daemons are running
     * Tool for log moving and rotation
       
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Tupdate Editor

   Tupdate is a custom editor script which serves two purposes:
    1. Interface to CVS, the Concurrent Version System
    2. Editor for Tshell
       
   CVS is activated only if the file .csuite exists in the same directory
   as the target file, and only permits editing if you are a member of an
   appropriate group, thus having appropriate permissions. Contact David
   Trueman or Landon Boyd if you can't edit the files you need in CSuite
   distributed directories.
   
   If you have trouble editing elsewhere, contact Landon who is working
   on the script.
   
   Landon and David Potter will arrange access to CVS for the Help-desk
   Group
   
   Tupdate and tshell will be renamed to update and shell for the
   distribution.
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Translation

   A manager for Translation has been appointed, and will work with the
   CSuite Workshop group to develop French (and other) Language support
   in CSuite, as required in our development grant. Chris Maxwell agreed
   to work with the Language Advisory Committee.
   
   Language support is triggered by settings in the browser. In Lynx,
   Setup Language [en, fr, ...]; Netscape and other browsers will have
   similar options - some more sophisticated to give a preference order
   for different languages. A trial modification has been made to lynx,
   and will be incorporated in beta-lynx to support the language choices,
   that will export the HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE variable to lynx-cgi:, the
   same as http: references now provide.
   
   Language translation for scripts is not going to be a simple exercise,
   especially to do it in a way that can be maintained. The current
   strategy was demonstrated using a version xmfd of the mail forward
   script. All English text strings (not script terms or HTML tags) are
   extracted to a dictionary .lang.en (on a per-directory basis) and
   substituted using suitable keywords prefixed by l_ (lower-case L).
   Then a translated version of the dictionary is created by the
   Translation Team. .lang.en -> .lang.fr for example. A few examples
   will be tried in Portuguese and perhaps other languages, as well.
   
   To facilitate translation, we will try to place all 'Translatable
   Text' in single quotes as a first step. The file can then be scanned
   for strings, appropriate keyword phrases can be selected, and
   substituted for the original text, and the text placed in the English
   dictionary file. The script, and its dictionary entries, will be
   referred for translation, and the resulting translated language file
   installed. It is proposed that, once the method is verified, the
   Workshop members be offered an opportunity to prep the files (text
   identification, keyword substitution, English dictionary entries) for
   an appropriate honorarium. Efforts will be needed to reduce
   duplication of equivalent phrases in the dictionaries.
   
   In the example, a bug in quoting in the original script was identified
   8-)
   
   A special editor might be devised to facilitate this process,
   displaying both script and substituted vocabulary in choice of
   languages simultaneously... We also need a way to notify appropriate
   team members that revised translations were needed, on both an urgent
   (e.g. motd) and routine basis.
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Manual Update

   CSuite members and observers are asked to browse the latest version of
   the Manual, which can be found at
   http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/help/guide.html or when logged in by typing:
   go help/guide.html
   
   Please give us your feedback, and sit with a newbie user to see how it
   works for them. All comments, via the links on the pages, are welcome.
   We have had some helpful notes already!
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
System Installation Schedule

   We have received the Owen Sound server and will schedule a system
   installation (with copious note-taking) for next week. Several members
   (James et al)will be available as early as Sunday for the installation
   of Debian Linux, followed by configuration and installation of CSuite.
   Landon will lead the quota and shadow password installation and
   testing, and we may try to port a better password search algorithm
   (needed for large numbers of users - the Linux scheme is linear).
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Restructuring CSuite Workshop

   Check out next week's agenda.
   
   We plan on looking at ways to restructure the Workshops, so as to
   improve the development aspects, separate out local tech-team issues,
   and work out strategies to recruit and make use of new volunteers. A
   volunteer liaison is also needed.
   
   Return to Topic List
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
   Next Workshop December 11, 1996
   
   Previous Workshop November 27, 1996
   
   Return to CSuite Workshop Index
   
   Submitted by Ed Dyer aa146@chebucto.ns.ca
   Workshop Coordinator David J Murdoch djm@chebucto.ns.ca
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
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