Where is new software announced?

Hi all,

I noticed yesterday that new RepRap host (& I assume firmware) was committed to SourceForge.

While I realise that I can (and have) subscribe to an RSS feed about deposits. What I was wondering about is where do the authors keep the change log and notes on what was done?

I am sure it exists,but all my searching has been in vein. I thought this forum might be a suitable place, but don't see anything here for the release of the 19th. I also thought that there should be some notes in the zip files itself, but I seem to be overlooking it.

Thanks,
Craig

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[blogger.kritzinger.net]

There are nightly builds

For getting the logs, you have to install Subversion, fetch the source code and look at the output of "svn log".

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Hi,

Thanks for details, I'll figure out the Subversion story.

As I understand it the "svn log" will contains the details of changes as it is a change management system, but this will not necessarily indicate something was changed unless the author added comments to code, right?

Thanks,
Craig

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[blogger.kritzinger.net]

We're moving from svn to github.com in order to minimize control and maximize contribution. Expect a blog post in 2-4 weeks about it, once the Tim Schmidt unit is back in action or we manage to RepRap a few more Adrian units.

Also, we now have the super-secret mailing list: http://lists.reprap.org/mailman/listinfo/reprap-dev which is an open dev list.

Meaning we're now a democracy, instead of a cabal, and meaning that everyone is now an "official" reprap developer, as opposed to a previous "core-developer" / "user" split which was artificial, unfair, undemocratic, and worst of all, inefficient. I'm very happy about it.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

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We're moving from svn to github.com

Good move.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Ok, guess I'll figure out GitHub instead then and wait.

I appreciate the benefits of the openness, and also the control that caused the initial core vs user trade off.

For my sins, my day job is to manage a software development team. Just a small one, 5 (no actually 6, wait that'll be 7 soon) members.

The biggest challenge I have is in ensuring that changes people made are documented AND required. The biggest headache we have is undocumented changes making it into production.

Now you can see why I am looking for the documentation of changes.

Thanks,
Craig

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[blogger.kritzinger.net]

Ok, guess I'll figure out GitHub instead then and wait.

You'll also want to track the mediawiki's Recent Changes:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges

I appreciate the benefits of the openness, and also the control that caused the initial core vs user trade off.

It's ... complicated and political. Control minimizes contribution. But also minimizes communication. Adrian can "either communicate or cogitate". He wasn't trying to be a control freak, he just didn't need 6.9 billion potential reprap developers all stuffing his inbox with happy chatter and requests-for-parts. Happily we now have 202 forums to turn into mailing lists. And reprap-dev, more importantly.

We all solve this problem differently. For example, Zach Smith uses tight control on Makerbot's wiki, and maximum openness on Thingiverse. (Except when he deleted the RepRap Generation 4 Electronics from Thingiverse.)
Likewise, he maintains tight control on replicator-g and sanguino.cc (proud projects funded by something called the "RepRap Research Foundation"). And he systematically spent 2-3 years stuffing RepRap, a non-profit webspace, with outgoing links into his various for-profit webspaces.

It was an excellent business decision on his part.

The biggest headache (I) have is undocumented changes making it into production.

My biggest headache is suggesting to fellow developers that they use RepRap's mediawiki as their primary documentation system, rather than MakerBot's Thingiverse. Because they and you and I own RepRap and the Mediawiki in trust, and maintain it as a commons.

Not everyone's gotten the memo. For example, here Rhys is double-documenting in RepRap's blog and in Makerbot's Thingiverse. While forgetting to document in RepRap's Mediawiki.

This is mostly because we lack Big_Fat_Upload_Button technology, and because Zach used RepRap's blog to tell everyone to use Thingiverse instead of RepRap's mediawiki.

While downloads are effectively unlimited, hardware documentation is a Zero Sum game; people generally only document once. Documentation meaning uploaded files, thoughtful text, photos, files, renders, and files.

Our fellow RepRap developers aggressively document, just not at RepRap.org.

Now you can see why I am looking for the documentation of changes.
No worries, now you can see why I occasionally start gibbering and frothing at the mouth. Please excuse the mild cynicism. RepRap is the coolest project in the world, but the silliest people.

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!