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Comment: Initial draft.
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Add a section on what we're not opening up. This question is going to come up, see the very first comment on http://news.launchpad.net/podcast/launchpod-15-launchpads-going-open-source for example.
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== Why open-source it? == | == Why open-source Launchpad? == |
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== Absolutely everything? == Almost. There are a few features, not integral to Launchpad as a collaboration platform, that for technical or strategic reasons we're not opening up. They're heavily customized for Canonical's workflow and we need them to stay that way -- to open them up would merely be to invite frustration (at least for us), as we wouldn't be able to foster a truly open development community around them anyway. However, even in those cases, there are other components that can be used to achieve similar functionality without the Canonical-specific behaviors. |
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Much of the code in Launchpad is in modules already, and will be released as independent packages over the next six months. This process has already started — for example see [[https://storm.canonical.com/|Storm]], [[http://pypi.python.org/pypi/lazr.config|LAZR.config]], and [[http://pypi.python.org/pypi/lazr.delegates|LAZR.delegates]]. The separating out of such packages will continue after Launchpad is open-sourced too; there will just be more people participating then. | Much of the code in Launchpad is modularized already, and will be released as independent packages over the next six months. (In fact, this process has already begun — for example see [[https://storm.canonical.com/|Storm]], [[http://pypi.python.org/pypi/lazr.config|LAZR.config]], and [[http://pypi.python.org/pypi/lazr.delegates|LAZR.delegates]].) The separating out of such packages will continue after Launchpad is open-sourced too; there will just be more people participating then. |
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There are also have a number of non-coding tasks, which we'll do roughly according to this schedule: | There are also a number of non-coding tasks, which we'll do roughly according to this schedule: |
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'''Jan 26, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.1 release.) Publish pre-release open-sourcing FAQ. We can anticipate some of the questions, but this announcement may stimulate more we hadn't thought of. | Jan 26, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.1 release.) Publish pre-release open-sourcing FAQ. We can anticipate some of the questions, but this announcement may stimulate more we hadn't thought of. |
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'''Feb 22, 2009 (Tue)''':: Finish internal license vetting, to make sure we don't violate anyone else's license when we open-source. | Feb 24, 2009 (Tue):: Finish internal license vetting, to make sure we don't violate anyone else's license when we open-source. |
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'''Feb 25, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.2 release.) | Feb 25, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.2 release.) |
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'''Mar 18, 2009 (Wed)''':: [[http://dev.launchpad.net|Developer documentation wiki]] should be largely populated by now, with material taken from current internal wikis, plus a newly-written "How to contribute to Launchpad" section. | Mar 18, 2009 (Wed):: [[http://dev.launchpad.net|Developer documentation wiki]] populated. |
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'''Apr 1, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.3 release.) | Apr 1, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.3 release.) |
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'''Apr 29, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.4 release.) | Apr 29, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.4 release.) |
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'''May 27, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.5 release; UDS). Take development discussion public: move real-time discussion over to #launchpad-dev on irc.freenode.net, take development mailing list public. Publish a Contributor License Agreement (CLA). | May 27, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.5 release; UDS). Take development discussion public: move real-time discussion over to #launchpad-dev on irc.freenode.net, take development mailing list public. Publish a Contributor License Agreement (CLA). |
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'''Jun 24, 2009 (Wed)''':: (Launchpad 2.2.6 release.) | Jun 24, 2009 (Wed):: (Launchpad 2.2.6 release.) |
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'''Jul 21, 2009 (Tue)''':: Open-source Launchpad itself; release 3.0. | Jul 21, 2009 (Tue):: Open-source Launchpad itself; release 3.0. |
Open Sourcing Launchpad
We're open-sourcing the code that runs Launchpad.net. The process will be completed by 21 July 2009, coinciding with the 3.0 release (see the schedule of releases).
Why open-source Launchpad?
This isn't just about freeing up the code; we have a chance to do something unique among open-source collaboration sites.
A new Launchpad release comes out every month; furthermore, bleeding-edge changes to Launchpad quickly go live through the continuous beta testing system. This allows a developer to make a bugfix or an improvement to Launchpad and get real-world testing on the change right away. Thus the primary site of Launchpad development will be Launchpad.net itself, rather than developers' external sandboxes, and the development/testing cycle will mesh closely with people's normal workflows. The result: greater efficiency and much better responsiveness to user needs than is usually the case in open development of a hosted service.
Absolutely everything?
Almost. There are a few features, not integral to Launchpad as a collaboration platform, that for technical or strategic reasons we're not opening up. They're heavily customized for Canonical's workflow and we need them to stay that way -- to open them up would merely be to invite frustration (at least for us), as we wouldn't be able to foster a truly open development community around them anyway. However, even in those cases, there are other components that can be used to achieve similar functionality without the Canonical-specific behaviors.
How is it being open-sourced?
Much of the code in Launchpad is modularized already, and will be released as independent packages over the next six months. (In fact, this process has already begun — for example see Storm, LAZR.config, and LAZR.delegates.) The separating out of such packages will continue after Launchpad is open-sourced too; there will just be more people participating then.
There are also a number of non-coding tasks, which we'll do roughly according to this schedule:
- Jan 26, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.1 release.) Publish pre-release open-sourcing FAQ. We can anticipate some of the questions, but this announcement may stimulate more we hadn't thought of.
- Feb 24, 2009 (Tue)
- Finish internal license vetting, to make sure we don't violate anyone else's license when we open-source.
- Feb 25, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.2 release.)
- Mar 18, 2009 (Wed)
Developer documentation wiki populated.
- Apr 1, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.3 release.)
- Apr 29, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.4 release.)
- May 27, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.5 release; UDS). Take development discussion public: move real-time discussion over to #launchpad-dev on irc.freenode.net, take development mailing list public. Publish a Contributor License Agreement (CLA).
- Jun 24, 2009 (Wed)
- (Launchpad 2.2.6 release.)
- Jul 21, 2009 (Tue)
- Open-source Launchpad itself; release 3.0.