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Membership F/OSS contributions


General News

By ColonelZen, Section Diary
Posted on Sun Feb 20th, 2005 at 14:44:03 EST

Our pet PR repeatedly complains that we are not F/OSS.

This is of course idiotic.  He himself asserts that there are many ways of contributing to F/OSS other than code, but it occurs to me that it may help keep everybody on an even keel if we lay it out.

So this diary entry is for coders to blow their own horn.  Please consider yourself welcome in commnets to talk a little bit about the code and other contributions you've made.

Not to mention just a way to get to know ourselves better collectively.

For myself, it wasn't a lot and it's been a couple years since I've released anything F/OSS.  tjfm is LGPL, and my prior code releases were more or less PD.  

I ought go through my "toolbox" for the last few years and just throw some of the utility routines I've written into the F/OSS pot.  By themselves there's probably nothing much there that other coders haven't done themselves or couldn't do for any individual class, method, or routine themselves in as little time as it would take them to learn how I've done it, but collectively it might save somebody time somewhere or give a newbie a starting place.

Contributions:

tjfm:  (http://tjfm.sourceforge.net) LGPL.  A type 4 jdbc driver for mysql.  Now much superceded, it had it's day of dominance as the primary jdbc driver for mysql.  I like to think it helped boost the interest in mysql at a critical time ('98-2000).

POPFETCH for VM.  (PD) a tool on the mainframe to pull mail to user's accounts from various pop servers.

(fix) qpopper  (PD).  Some code changes to the qpopper code to account for release changes in the operating system. qpopper is/was a pop mail service runnable on VM (mainframe).

Linux on VM project outline.  This wasn't code as such but more a critical path outline to migrating Linux to the mainframe a couple years before it happened.  I don't know how much (if any) this influenced the IBM skunkworks team that released what is now the primary mainframe linux code, but I know this plan and the (extensive) discussions around it had some influence on the people who were working on bigfoot and that in turn had at least a little influence on the later developments of the IBM version.

Plus, of course lots of little scripts and programs in various emails and newslists for accomplishing little tasks and illuminating how-tos related to all of the above.

-- TWZ

(as SOP please zero comments without substantive new material)

< Goodbye Everybody. (21 comments) | Open Source Political Action Groups (24 comments) >
Display: Sort:
Membership F/OSS contributions | 81 comments (81 topical, 0 editorial, 18 hidden)
Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (4.50 / 8) (#38)
by mikey (mikey at badpenguins dot com) on Mon Feb 21st, 2005 at 22:08:39 EST
(User Info) http://www.ip-wars.net
I am not a coder, have no formal training in programming whatsoever.  Most of my contributions have been php or shell script hacks.  Each is licensed GPLv2.

glcmi (badpenguins|geeklog):

glcmi (Geeklog Copyright Management Information) is a plugin/mod that:

  1. Allows authors to select from a system administrator provided list of licenses when posting articles or comments.
  2. Allows administrators to change licensing information and author attribution on articles or comments.
  3. Displays the user selected license when showing articles/comments.
  4. Adds cmi.add, cmi.edit, cmi.list, and cmi.delete perms to allow CMI moderation by groups of users.
  5. Creates two groups during installation - CMI Admins and CMI Moderators.  CMI Admins can add licenses to the system, CMI Moderators can alter CMI on existing posts.
  6. By default adds cmi.list perms to All Users so that any user can select licensing information when posting, even anonymous posters.

glrevive (badpenguins|geeklog):


glrevive is a modification of the geeklog batch user import functionality with the following exceptions:

  1. It requires the uid of the user account to create in addition to the standard full name, username, and email address.
  2. The user will not be added to any groups.
  3. Any email address can be specified, including the same email address for multiple revived accounts.
  4. A password of '*' will be entered for the user, and no password will be emailed to the user upon account creation. This disables the account from being used, prevents the creation of another account with the same username, and prevents attempts to reset the user password from being emailed to the original email address.
  5. An existing UID or username will not be duplicated or changed. If a uid or username is found to already exist, an error message will indicate the error, and processing will continue.

glsuck (badpenguins):


A php command line utility to retrieve geeklog articles and/or comments and import them into a database and/or html files.  Can limit retrieval by specific author.

glview (badpenguins):

A very basic php web interface to the database archive created by glsuck.  Sortable, searchable, view posts, threads, etc...

karmapools (badpenguins):


PHP web application to create and maintain calender web based pools.  Based the idea on yahouvres pools popular on yahoo SCOX.  Demo is running at http://badpenguins.com/karmapools/.  Incomplete, needs professional help :)

utdcourtsuck (badpenguins):

PHP command line utility to monitor the Utah District Court media spool for new files related the the SCO case.  Able to search pdf files that are not image based.  Will retrieve any relevant documents.

yasuck (badpengins):

A php command line utility to archive yahoo finance message board posts and import them into a database, export to nntp posts, or export to html.

yaview (badpenguins):

A very basic php web interface to the database archive created by yasuck.  Sortable, searchable, view posts, threads, etc...  Currently in use at http://badpenguins.com/yarchive/yaview.  Buggy, needs professional help :)

The contributions I am most proud of have nothing to do with code.


  1. I have been a proud user/supporter/advocate of linux since around 92/93.  I have been a slackware subscriber all of these years, I have always felt slackware was worthy of paying for.
  2. My first client linux install was in 95/96.  A steel building manufacturer who wanted to field sales leads via email.  It was a dedicated dialup connection with the first ISP in my state.  It kept running for several years.  Never got a single support call on it, the salesman loved it and more than made up for the price in sales.
  3. 10 years ago I was the first person to install TCP/IP, a web server, and netscape in the corporate support center of the Fortune 100 Retailer I worked at.  It was before then a "true-blue" shop, all IBM, all SNA, all proprietary satellite communications.  I started documenting on web pages and training support staff with them, created some mainframe db2 scraping cgi's to monitor job queues.  Executives saw the web browsers and "HAD to have them".  Within 2 years the entire corporate headquarters had TCP/IP installed and netscape.  PHB's love browsers, particularly when they were used to green screens.
  4. Installed linux boxes for several clients to handle their email (sendmail, cyrus imap) and web sites.  Never had an unhappy customer, they never failed to be amazed at how much could be done with one linux box, and the price.
  5. I was hired at my current job around 6 years ago because of my linux and web experience.  At the time there was one SCO unix box.  Today we have several farms of linux boxes (40-50), the director of the department is now an open source fan, there is now enough work to employ two linux geeks.  We hired the only other linux geek that I have actually met in person :)  Other departments are now starting to use linux.  My employer is the 3rd largest employer in the state I live in, the only larger employers are the state itself and Wal Mart.  We buy linux products whenever possible and are migrating off of anything open source wherever possible.  Linux is no longer an obscure hobby o/s where I work :)
  6. I run a micro-isp that caters to non-profits.  By using all open source products we make it affordable for them.  Some day it might amount to something, right now it basically pays for the bandwidth.
  7. I sell T-Shirts and donate a percentage to (F/OSS group of your choice).
  8. Got my business partner disgusted with microsoft and using linux on the desktop :)
  9. My (almost) crowning achievement - I almost got my grandmother using linux.  I was so close!  The only roadblock was that she lives in another state and her only helper knows only microsoft :(  When grandma starts using linux, the war is over!
  10. I help where I can on various open source related forums, mailing lists, etc...  I try to help people adjust to linux, to make it a pleasant experience for them.

I am certain I am not alone in this...  I had never been involved in anything remotely resembling F/OSS political or advocacy before the SCO -vs- IBM case.  It galvanized me and made me get off of my ass.  I believe if we do not defend our freedoms we will lose them.


---
DISCLAIMER:
IANAL, may have no idea what the heck I am talking about, yadda yadda yadda.

  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 22:32:50 EST (4.00 / 6)
    • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by mikey, 02/21/2005 22:44:11 EST (4.20 / 5)
      • Language suggestions by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 23:04:46 EST (4.00 / 6)
        • Re: Language suggestions by mikey, 02/21/2005 23:32:11 EST (4.16 / 6)
          • Re: Language suggestions by Sunny, 02/22/2005 11:04:19 EST (3.00 / 3)
            • Re: Language suggestions by mikey, 02/22/2005 15:17:00 EST (none / 2)
          • Re: Language suggestions by codswallet, 02/22/2005 15:43:20 EST (none / 2)
        • Re: Language suggestions by mikey, 02/21/2005 23:25:10 EST (3.25 / 4)
  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Sunny, 02/22/2005 11:17:17 EST (4.00 / 5)
Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (3.83 / 12) (#7)
by mck9 (mck9 at swbell.,net) on Sun Feb 20th, 2005 at 17:24:59 EST
(User Info) http://home.swbell.net/mck9/ct/
My FOSS credentials:

  1. A collection of routines for parsing and manipulating PL/SQL source code, including a crude beautifier.  License: GPL.  See: http://home.swbell.net/mck9/pls/

  2. Cheap Threads, a library to implement synchronous multitasking in portable C (small memory footprint, no need for locks, mutexes, etc.).  License: LGPL.  See: http://home.swbell.net/mck9/ct/

  3. html_scrub, a utility that screens HTML for unwanted or troublesome tags.  Originally written for Groklaw.  License: GPL.  See: http://home.swbell.net/mck9/html_scrub/

All of the above are written in C.  Maybe some day I'll be brave enough to publish some stuff in C++.

I was an early contributor to Groklaw.  I transcribed the original AT&T/IBM Software Agreements, and provided much of the language of the original Comments Guidelines.

My own commentary on the SCO saga (badly out of date by now) is available at http://home.swbell.net/mck9/sco/.  My account of SCO's 2003 road show in St Louis is at http://home.swbell.net/mck9/sco/scostl.html

  • Good idea: IAQ by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 13:33:38 EST (3.87 / 8)
    • Re: Good idea: IAQ by codswallet, 02/21/2005 15:21:00 EST (3.80 / 5)
    • Re: Good idea: IAQ by mck9, 02/21/2005 15:21:50 EST (3.50 / 4)
  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 12:51:01 EST (3.80 / 5)
  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by mck9, 01/29/2006 13:56:03 EST (none / 2)
Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (3.80 / 5) (#63)
by br3n on Tue Feb 22nd, 2005 at 12:50:26 EST
(User Info)
i am not a coder at all.
i volunteer time on irc channels to give encouragement to people that get frustrated when they first start with linux.if a non techie grandmother can do it ,it makes it possible for them.
i have also burned discs to give out at a trade show in town and spent the day helping at the table.it is very hard for me to go to the trade show to help out but it was worth the effort.
br3n
Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (3.62 / 8) (#23)
by heurtley on Mon Feb 21st, 2005 at 08:36:59 EST
(User Info)
My single F/OSS code contriubution is Sieve, which was inspired by people who inisist that this is an anti-F/OSS web site.

vi. Emacs users will be thresholded to 4.99.

Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (3.54 / 11) (#9)
by il1 on Sun Feb 20th, 2005 at 19:39:11 EST
(User Info)
My contributions are a fairly eclectic bunch, all Linux kernel related.

  1. 3CR990 drivers
  2. IPSEC crypto acceleration for 3CR990 drivers
  3. Fixups to DiskOnChip 2000 drivers
  4. SPARCprinter drivers
  5. Various other, minor fixes

I agree with the PR that there are many ways of contributing to free and open source software, especially writing documentation, but it's nice to see there are members here that have gotten their hands dirty writing code.

  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by harlan wilkerson, 02/20/2005 20:33:56 EST (3.60 / 10)
    • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/21/2005 01:34:36 EST (2.33 / 9)
      • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by harlan wilkerson, 02/21/2005 21:57:58 EST (3.83 / 6)
        • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 22:25:01 EST (4.00 / 6)
      • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 02:07:49 EST (3.75 / 8)
        • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/21/2005 02:45:07 EST (1.53 / 13)
          • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by JCausey, 02/21/2005 10:22:01 EST (4.00 / 9)
            • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by br3n, 02/21/2005 10:50:14 EST (3.77 / 9)
            • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/22/2005 01:39:04 EST (1.60 / 10)
              • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by JCausey, 02/22/2005 09:32:15 EST (3.66 / 6)
                • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/22/2005 14:43:11 EST (1.66 / 6)
                  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by JCausey, 02/22/2005 15:06:35 EST (3.60 / 5)
                    • Please move thread by ColonelZen, 02/22/2005 15:19:28 EST (3.80 / 5)
                      • Re: Please move thread by JCausey, 02/22/2005 17:43:06 EST (4.00 / 4)
              • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Sunny, 02/22/2005 12:43:49 EST (3.50 / 4)
          • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by harlan wilkerson, 02/21/2005 12:01:18 EST (3.90 / 11)
            • Languages used in military by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 12:39:41 EST (3.66 / 9)
              • Re: Languages used in military by harlan wilkerson, 02/21/2005 13:05:44 EST (4.14 / 7)
                • Re: Languages used in military by ColonelZen, 02/21/2005 23:28:01 EST (4.00 / 6)
                  • Re: Languages used in military by harlan wilkerson, 02/22/2005 01:59:49 EST (4.00 / 5)
              • Re: Languages used in military by sphealey, 02/21/2005 13:01:37 EST (3.71 / 7)
            • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/22/2005 01:41:11 EST (1.71 / 7)
              • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by ColonelZen, 02/22/2005 01:46:47 EST (3.00 / 5)
              • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by harlan wilkerson, 02/22/2005 02:09:01 EST (2.83 / 6)
                • Harlan, sorry I have to scream OT! by ColonelZen, 02/22/2005 02:12:37 EST (3.16 / 6)
          • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Sunny, 02/22/2005 11:52:51 EST (3.33 / 3)
Re: Membership F/OSS contributions (1.50 / 12) (#2)
by Potential Recruit on Sun Feb 20th, 2005 at 15:56:21 EST
"He himself asserts that there are many ways of contributing to F/OSS other than code, but it occurs to me that it may help keep everybody on an even keel if we lay it out."

Yes that was in response to mikey located here.
http://www.ip-wars.net/comments/2005/2/19/14522/8440?pid=49#52

On this post Mikey makes (at least) two outrageous statements. One is that only coders are members of the open source community. And two that there is no thing as as F/OSS. That the term itself is an oxymoron.

So Colonel you should probably take that phrase out of your vocabulary from now on.

  • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by nathanh, 02/20/2005 22:15:02 EST (3.83 / 12)
    • Please move topic elsewhere by ColonelZen, 02/20/2005 22:21:01 EST (3.57 / 7)
    • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by Potential Recruit, 02/21/2005 01:32:35 EST (1.63 / 11)
      • Re: Membership F/OSS contributions by nathanh, 02/21/2005 20:31:42 EST (3.77 / 9)
  • MOVED by ColonelZen, 02/20/2005 21:46:31 EST (3.80 / 5)
  • MOVED (corrected) by ColonelZen, 02/20/2005 21:52:25 EST (3.71 / 7)
    • Re: MOVED (corrected) by il1, 02/20/2005 23:08:45 EST (4.00 / 6)
  • Thank you. by Potential Recruit, 02/21/2005 01:31:33 EST (1.00 / 10)
Bye bye spambot (none / 1) (#79)
by Potential Recruit on Mon Nov 27th, 2006 at 12:20:18 EST
This used to be a spambot post that is flooding the site. Due to volume, I had to resort to this while I work to block access by these bots. My apologies - thanks for your patience.

Jeff

Bye bye spambot (none / 0) (#81)
by Potential Recruit on Tue Nov 28th, 2006 at 13:07:29 EST
This used to be a spambot post that is flooding the site. Due to volume, I had to resort to this while I work to block access by these bots. My apologies - thanks for your patience.

Jeff

Membership F/OSS contributions | 81 comments (81 topical, 0 editorial, 18 hidden)
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