From igc.apc.org!notes Sun Nov 29 15:37:07 1992 From: arni@web.apc.org (Arni Mikelsons) Date: 24 Nov 92 13:16 PST Subject: - User software development To: Recipients of conference "tech.smallsys" Message-Id: <269400018%web.apc.org@igc.apc.org> User Software The user software is used by each person or organization communicating with an African NGO host. The current software is very difficult to install because it is a collection of several programs and needs to be integrated as a coherent package. Also in the existing user software are many features that are normally only required by the host software. The proposed work on the user software involves developing an installation package and removing several non-essential features. It is also essential that an arrangement be made to include a text editor which can be freely distributed with the user software. Negotiations are currently under way with the author of the GoldEd editor. The changes to the host software for message addressing and re- direction will also be incorporated in the user software. Specific software modifications include: - preparing a menu-driven installation programme for the user - incorporating a context-sensitive help system into the current software - adding "point and click" subscription to conferences - adding a tool to show amount of time spent on line - designing a compiled version of the software The above are specific modifications which need to be made immediately. The following tasks need to be addressed before long- term development decisions can be made about future development paths: - Evaluate ease of use of the current software configuration and improvements that could be made - Initial evaluation of the possibility of using Internet- style message format (RFC 822/1023/1036) instead of the Fido message format. Short term user software development In the short term (0 - 3 months), using the criteria set out in the workshop, final decisions will be made on specific pieces of software to be used. It is anticipated that the following software will be used: - GoldEd as editor with MsgEd for floppy installations, - Squish or Qmail as the mail processor, - Binkley as the mailer, - BNU as the FOSSIL driver, - ZOO as the compression programme. If we are going to use these programmes, software contracts for free use in developing countries are crucial. Tasks to be completed in this phase are as follows: - develop final specifications for software suite including making final decisions on what software to include in ELF (10 days); - decide which DOS compiler to use (2 days); - incorporate all the new programmes into FDM.bat (5 days); - design logging software so all its functions are done on one pass though the message base to minimise system down time (5 days). Medium term user software development In the medium term (3 - 6 months), the chosen software will be bundled together and distributed with limited documentation for testing. Comments will be made available on-line through a semi- private conference. Towards the end of this six month period, an official release will be made of this software under the proposed name of "Easy Link for Fido" or ELF. Improvements that will be incorporated into ELF include: - automatic incorporation of a requested user list to ensure that users have up-to-date lists of systems that can be mailed to. This is particularly important as new systems will be emerging in Africa on a regular basis (2 days); - "point and click" (un)subscription to conferences. Currently a user has to manually change settings in three locations in order to (un)subscribe to conferences (5 days); - have context-sensitive help. Currently there are no help screens in the menuing system. Most of the component programmes do have help screens and it is important to design a help system that will correspond with these (5 days); - an easy to use set-up procedure, taking advantage of the ASCII configuration files. Some Fido component programmes have binary configuration files, which are not easily accessible. In order to provide easy set-up procedures, it must be possible for set-up programme to change the configuration files. This is possible with ascii configuration files (20 days); - a tool to examine the amount of time spent on-line, so that phone bills in countries without itemised telephone bills can be reconciled (1 day). Some of the changes that are required for ELF must be made in the component software, preferably by the author. They include: - getting the editor to recognise the @ symbol and mail to the host. Currently, each user has the full user lists of various APC systems on their hard drives, which consumes a substantial amount of disk space. With recognition of the @ symbol, a user in Africa could enter a message to "idrc@web", and would know to sent the message to Web, without having Web's user list on their computer (7 days); - an editor that switches between WS and WP style commands. GoldEd has a configurable editor, but there is no easy way of switching configurations. Also, this could be expanded to include other word processing packages, including ones in different languages (3 days); - Set up a one-floppy user installation. Despite the fact that the developed world is making 286 computers with 40 MB hard drives obsolete, much of the developing world still uses computers with only floppy disk drives. (14 days) - Release test version of ELF for feedback in conjunction with documentation of the software. (2 days to prepare mailing) Long term user software development In the long term (6 - 12 months), the user interface will be improved, most of the modifications will have been incorporated into the software, full documentation will be ready, and it will have been fully tested before release. During this time a long term strategy for software support and improvement will be developed. Activities in this phase include: - Conducting a software evaluation and incorporating the results into ELF. This will be done in conjunction with documentation of the software (20 days); - Developing a sustainable, long term strategy for software support. One of the crucial elements to this software being used in Africa is the support it can get. A system of on-line support together with training must be devised for this purpose (5 days); - Official release of ELF with documentation. One of the key components that will be looked at in the long term is the possibility of using Internet style message formats (RFC 822/1023/1036) with the Fido software. If this is possible, many of the problems with the translation of messages from one format to another will be alleviated. To date, no attempts have been made to do this.