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

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,

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

[Up]  [Find]  [Recent]  [Comments]  [CCN Homepage]