Archive-name: linux/Projects-FAQ Last-modified: 23 Jul 1994 Maintained-By: Harald Milz (hm@seneca.ix.de) Linux Projects-FAQ This is the Projects-FAQ for Linux. Here you'll find some information concerning popular projects that are currently in the design or coding stage. Code for these projects is not publicly available yet. However, the software is being worked on and will be eventually available. Please DO NOT send tons of questions to the developers but instead let them spend their time working on the project. This FAQ will be updated regularly and will be available on sunsite.unc.edu as /pub/Linux/docs/faqs/Projects-FAQ (i.e. I'll upload it once a week if there's a new version). If you are about to develop a certain piece of software and if you think it would be good to let people know, please send me an entry according to the template shown below. The fields "AuthorEmail" and "ETA" are optional; if you don't believe people won't drown you in email or don't think it's wise to tell a potential release date, simply leave these fields empty. Please don't forget to send me updates if the status of your project changes, or I'll have to query you. ;^) If you are not working on a specific project yourself but know someone else is, please drop me a note. After the initial release of code to the public, I intend to leave the respective entry in the list for some weeks or so, adding a comment where the code can be found, then delete the entry to avoid redundancy (with the LSM). This FAQ is for non-commercial Linux software projects only. If there is enough interest, then maybe someone should set up a separate list covering commercial products for Linux some time later. Any additional volunteers? Linux-specific hardware projects are not covered -- it doesn't seem as if there were too many of them. Sample entry follows (similar to an LSM entry, thank you Jeff). Some sample entries (e.g. "Assistance") don't cover every possible item - feel free to enter what you like, but don't create new fields and don't change field names. Field lengths are now arbitrary, but avoid an overall length of more than 78 characters. Field: Description ----------- ------------------------------------------------------ Title: The name of the package. example: "Linux for DEC 21064" Desc1: 5 lines of text describing the package's function or purpose Desc2: The more descriptive you are the more useful the entry Desc3: will be. Desc4: Desc5: Author: Who is going to write the package. AuthorEmail: The author's email address (optional) InfoSources1: Some hints where to get additional information such as InfoSources2: mailing lists or local newsgroups InfoSources3: Assistance: assistance needed? {required | appreciated | not required } CurrentStat: {still in the design phase | first code runs | approaching ALPHA status | in ALPHA | code is available on (FTP path)} ETA: Estimated time of arrival (optional & conservative ;) Remarks1: Other info of value (up to the developer), 5 lines. Remarks2: Additional info that won't fit in one of the above fields. Remarks3: Remarks4: Remarks5: ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: "Xtbackup" Desc1: a tcl/tk interface to Koen Holtman's tbackup Desc2: tape backup software. Desc3: Desc4: Desc5: Author: Jon Madison writing the tcl/tk interface AuthorEmail: jonboy@neuromancer.ucr.edu InfoSources1: just email me. InfoSources2: http://indyunix.iupui.edu/~jmmadiso/tktbackup.html InfoSources3: Assistance: assistance not required. CurrentStat: coding is going on as you read. it looks kinda pretty. :) ETA: I'd give it another 1-2 months before ALPHA, but i think... Remarks1: ALPHA will be stable enough to be final. my "final" Remarks2: release will probably be just clean up of the code; Remarks3: I hope to have learned tcl/tk pretty well by the end of the Remarks4: summer. XF's making things a little less painful. & FUN! Remarks5: thanks to Koen's HUGE suggestion on the interface. Entered: 09 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: ALT - Administrators little tool Desc1: ALT is a Motif-based system administrators tool which Desc2: can be used for dealing with Software-packages, Users, Desc3: configuring Networks, etc. Desc4: Desc5: Author: Thomas Woerner AuthorEmail: twoerner@gris.informatik.uni-tuebingen.de InfoSources1: Email & WWW-page at InfoSources2: WWW: http://134.2.172.13:4711/alt.html/ InfoSources3: Email: ALT@linus.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de Assistance: not required CurrentStat: first code runs ETA: maybe August 1994 until ALPHA Remarks1: Co-author: Christian Huettermann Remarks2: (huettermann@zdv.uni-tuebingen.de) Remarks3: Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 21 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Caching file system, benfs Desc1: This will be a file system that will cache files from Desc2: another directory structure (that is currently mounted) Desc3: onto the local hard disk. Thus if you have a slow CD-ROM Desc4: drive you would mount it normaly, then mount its directory Desc5: structure using benfs and access the files via the cache. Author: Ben Frank AuthorEmail: u9219765@sys.uea.ac.uk InfoSources1: Mail me if your interested :) InfoSources2: or if you want me to include something InfoSources3: Assistance: not required CurrentStat: still in the design phase ETA: Alpha code in October/November 94 Remarks1: The file system will prob only be able to mount read only Remarks2: directories, but this may change depending on how things Remarks3: go ;) Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 24 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Generic Linux System Admin Tool Desc1: A package of tools, accessed through a user-freindly Desc2: menu system for adminstrating, installing, and Desc3: configuring Linux distributions. Done in cooperation Desc4: with Linux International. Desc5: Author: Pat Spinler, Ross Becker, others whom I forget right now :( AuthorEmail: pats@einet.com InfoSources1: linux-config channel mailing list InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: assistance appreciated CurrentStat: in design ETA: optimal: Sept 94, conservative: Dec 94. Remarks1: Targeted to work with the major Linux distributions Remarks2: and probably any distrib conforming to the FSSTND. Remarks3: Might optionally be extended for different OS's such as Remarks4: Net/Free BSD later. Remarks5: Entered: 23 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Linux driver for Qlogic FAST!SCSI boards Desc1: VESA and ISA versions are anticipated. PCI is not Desc2: currently planned because it differs significantly Desc3: from the other designs. Desc4: Desc5: Author: Michael A. Griffith AuthorEmail: grif@cs.ucr.edu InfoSources1: anon-ftp from cs.ucr.edu:/pub/linux/qlogic InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: Assistance actively sought. CurrentStat: Skeleton written, but no runnable code exists. ETA: Remarks1: Remarks2: Remarks3: Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 20 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Linux/AXP Desc1: Port of the Linux 1.0 kernel to Digital's Alpha AXP Desc2: family of microprocessors. Desc3: Desc4: Desc5: Author: Jim Paradis & others AuthorEmail: paradis@amt.ako.dec.com InfoSources1: None yet; I'm too busy coding 8-) I'll be putting out InfoSources2: a progress report in the next few weeks, though. An article InfoSources3: for Linux Journal is also in the works. Assistance: appreciated CurrentStat: approaching ALPHA status ETA: September '94 Remarks1: Assistance: Not requred *yet*, but will be soon 8-) Remarks2: Once I get it to a shell prompt, I'll package up the sources Remarks3: and development tools into a hackers' kit that I'll distribute Remarks4: to interested parties. Remarks5: I'll also put out a WWW page with up to date status soon. Entered: 23 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Linux/PowerPC Desc1: A port of the Linux 1.0 kernel to the PowerPC platform. Our current Desc2: hardware is an Apple PowerMac 7100/66, but we intend it to run Desc3: on all PowerPC/PCI/SCSI platforms (essentially, the current Desc4: PReP hardware plus some Power Macs.) Desc5: Author: A team of five people; contact Charlton Wilbur or Jem Lewis. AuthorEmail: cwilbur@polar.bowdoin.edu; jlewis@polar.bowdoin.edu InfoSources1: None yet; mailing list/WWW site on the way. You can sometimes InfoSources2: read interesting speculation on comp.sys.powerpc. InfoSources3: PowerPC news mentions us every now and again. Assistance: not required CurrentStat: some development tools ported; kernel in 1st code runs ETA: kernel, Sept 94; device drivers, good question. Remarks1: The biggest FAQ we've run into: Remarks2: This runs *instead* of System 7, not on top of it or Remarks3: on top of SoftWindows. Although I don't think it's been Remarks4: tried, Linux probably won't run on top of SoftWindows because Remarks5: it only emulates a 286 at the moment. Entered: 18 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Network Accounting Kernel Patch Desc1: Aquisition of network traffic for the purpose of user accounting. Desc2: Data is collected per program and logged thru syslogd mechanism. Desc3: Logged data: user, bytes in, bytes out, host, starting and Desc4: ending time of connection, type of transfer (UDP, TCP, RAW), Desc5: name of program, pid Author: Hubert Weikert AuthorEmail: weikert@cube.net InfoSources1: First version (1.1.8.0) posted on de.comp.sources.unix InfoSources2: acct-list@muninn.sta.sub.org managed by Majordomo, InfoSources3: send request (in body) to Majordomo@muninn.sta.sub.org Assistance: appreciated CurrentStat: code is available, please request by mail ETA: available Remarks1: New versions are mainly driven by changes in kernel networking Remarks2: code. The present version (1.1.31.0) based on kernel 1.1.31 Remarks3: runs stable at an internet site. The packacke doesn't include Remarks4: any post-processing, you are at your own. Contributions Remarks5: are higly appreciated. Entered: 22 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Simple Linux System Manager Desc1: A SMIT like program, that let you manage your Linux system Desc2: without knowing about all those little System Administrator Desc3: tools that make a nightmare your life. Desc4: Good for newbies. Desc5: Author: Riccardo Facchetti writing the perl core and the dialog I/O AuthorEmail: riccardo@cdc8g5.cdc.polimi.it InfoSources1: Don't ask but on Usenet News, group comp.os.linux.admin, InfoSources2: don't expect any answer (i have too few time to read news InfoSources3: every day), Don't write by e-mail unless really important. Assistance: not required CurrentStat: first code runs ETA: conservative: end of 1994, maybe. Remarks1: The package is still in development, but the main core of Remarks2: I/O is finished. I've started to add functionality Remarks3: and i'm still open to new ideas (e-mail me if you think you Remarks4: have a good one). Remarks5: Entered: 21 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Software for the Metec VDG-8 Framegrabber Desc1: Software for controlling this Framegrabber from Unix, Desc2: capturing a picture, displaying it and saving it to disk Desc3: Desc4: Desc5: Author: Steffen W. Schilke AuthorEmail: sws@tora.robin.de InfoSources1: InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: assistance appreciated CurrentStat: design phase && first code runs ETA: up to pi month Remarks1: Planning to do the software for X with possibility to Remarks2: save the picture in at least on format (tiff, gif, pcx Remarks3: or jpeg (for manipulation you should use xv or so)) Remarks4: As the VDG-8 uses RS232 as interface this software Remarks5: should run on the most Unix Systems (I hope ;-) Entered: 21 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Specialix SI-Host device driver. Desc1: Driver for the Specialix Intelligent modular RS-232 Desc2: serial I/O system. Desc3: -- Desc4: It is intended that future versions of the driver Desc5: will support other cards starting with Digiboard. Author: Simon P Allen AuthorEmail: simonallen@cix.compulink.co.uk InfoSources1: Available when driver goes into Alpha test. InfoSources2: Feel free to E-mail me at the above address with questions InfoSources3: specific to this driver. No general questions please :-) Assistance: Testers required soon. CurrentStat: Definitely approaching ALPHA status. ETA: Uncertain but probably by end of August. Remarks1: Driver works. Can login on all ports. SLIP works after Remarks2: a fashion. Hardware supports 32 RS-232 ports per system. Remarks3: Driver will support 32 but only tested with 8 as yet. Remarks4: Performance is very good - high I/O rates load system CPU Remarks5: very little. Some major interfaces to rest of kernel in Entered: 21 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Trantor T130B (NCR 53C400) SCSI drivers. Desc1: This is an extension to Drew Eckhardt's generic NCR5380 SCSI driver Desc2: It will be merged into a common NCR5380/53C400 driver. Desc3: They will support PSEDUO DMA on the T130B. Desc4: Desc5: Author: Kevin Lentin AuthorEmail: kevinl@cs.monash.edu.au InfoSources1: InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: not required CurrentStat: approaching ALPHA status ETA: Early August 1994. Remarks1: Pseudo DMA reads and writes are now working. A clean patch Remarks2: has been produced and is about to be sent to Drew Eckhardt Remarks3: to incorporate into the NCR5380 driver. Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 22 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Visual-Bell HOWTO Desc1: A standard-format howto with instructions to disable the Desc2: audible and a kernel patch as a catch-all solution Desc3: Desc4: Desc5: Author: Alessandro Rubini AuthorEmail: rubini@ipvvis.unipv.it InfoSources1: InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: not required CurrentStat: ETA: now Remarks1: see the HOWTOs in the standard directories. Remarks2: the package is available in iride.unipv.it:/pub/linux, in Remarks3: source (sgml), ps and text form. Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 20 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: Xu-lib & Widget Set Desc1: A library & widget set to "emulate" the look&feel and Desc2: the programming interface of OSF/Motif (R) Desc3: The title is likely to change sometimes Desc4: Desc5: Author: Udo Baumgart AuthorEmail: U.BAUMGART@ldb.han.de InfoSources1: InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: appreciated CurrentStat: first code runs ETA: first beta: end 1994 Remarks1: I hope i can compile mosaic in autumn 1994 so there Remarks2: will be a non Motif version of mosaic. Remarks3: I would like to have public available source for Motif Remarks4: to test the stuff. BUT: Please ask via e-mail before Remarks5: posting anything >20 KB. My disk is full enough Entered: 18 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: aic7770 SCSI driver Desc1: driver for all scsi controllers using the aic7770 chip, Desc2: such as Adaptec's AHA-274x and AHA-284x models, Desc3: as well as some motherboards. Desc4: Desc5: Author: aic7770: Scott M. Ferris, aha274x: John Aycock AuthorEmail: sferris@winternet.com, aycock@cpsc.ucalgary.ca InfoSources1: Announcements will be made in comp.os.linux.announce InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: accepted, as are hardware donations (2840AT, 2742AT) CurrentStat: aic7770: working on microcode, 274x: pre-alpha ETA: Remarks1: John Aycock (aycock@cpsc.ucalgary.ca) has a seperately Remarks2: developed aha-274x driver in pre-alpha. It is available Remarks3: via FTP at: ftp.cpsc.ucalgary.edu /pub/systems/linux/aha274x Remarks4: His 274x driver may be merged into the generic aic7770. Remarks5: Which way development will proceed has not yet been decided. Entered: 01 Jul 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: bochs Desc1: Portable Intel x86 emulator. Desc2: multi-platform emulation of the Intel 80486 & Desc3: associated PC hardware suite. support for graphics via Desc4: X11R5 & text mode via curses. Desc5: Author: Kevin P. Lawton AuthorEmail: bochs@tiac.net InfoSources1: to join mailing list: InfoSources2: mail to listproc@amscons.com, with body of: InfoSources3: subscribe bochs-developers FirstName LastName Assistance: appreciated CurrentStat: still in the design phase ETA: few months to bare 8086 version Remarks1: Creating modular interface for developers to add emulation Remarks2: support for favorite hardware. Framework being coded Remarks3: for 80486, though currently adding support only for Remarks4: real-mode instruction set, protection model, etc. Remarks5: Shareware licensed. Source will be ftp'able. Entered: 18 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: gpm-Linux Desc1: Gpm is general purpose mouse server for the linux text Desc2: console. Applications can register as clients and get Desc3: cooked mouse events. I'll provide sample clients as well. Desc4: Gpm is based on "selection" and "selection" is the default Desc5: behaviour when no clients are there. Author: Alessandro Rubini AuthorEmail: rubini@ipvvis.unipv.it InfoSources1: InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: slightly appreciated (to test mouse types) CurrentStat: ETA: beta: august; 1.0: october (conservative) Remarks1: Andrew Haylett can be regarded as co-author. Remarks2: The server will be presented at the Linux symposium. Remarks3: Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 18 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: x2600 Desc1: An atari 2600 emulator for xwindows. Graphics, but no Desc2: sound. Could turn out VERY SLOW! Desc3: Desc4: Desc5: Author: Alex Hornby. AuthorEmail: csuou@warwick.ac.uk InfoSources1: file /computing/systems/atari/umich/8bit/Vcs/2600doc.zip InfoSources2: at src.doc.ic.ac.uk InfoSources3: Assistance: assistance appreciated CurrentStat: 65xx emulator running, TIA a nightmare ETA: 2001 Remarks1: Due to the wierd memory mappings an all i/o being Remarks2: memory mapped it runs very slow. If you have written Remarks3: a 6502/6510 based emulator I'm interested in your ideas. Remarks4: Remarks5: Entered: 18 Jun 1994 ------------------------------- snip ------------------------------- Title: xdoom Desc1: An X port of the DOS game DOOM. Supports keyboard Desc2: and net play. Sound effects support included. Merged Desc3: with latest DOOM versions. Supports pixel doubling, Desc4: tripling, & quadrupling. Uses 16-bit sound to improve Desc5: mixed sound quality. Author: id Software (Linux port by Dave Taylor) AuthorEmail: ddt@idsoftware.com (Linux), help@idsoftware.com (otherwise) InfoSources1: For info on DOOM: alt.games.doom, alt.games.action, WWW InfoSources2: InfoSources3: Assistance: Not required CurrentStat: Needs minor sound code changes. ETA: Sorry, I don't do Windows or release dates. Remarks1: Showing the Irix v5.2 port at SIGGRAPH. The Linux port Remarks2: will be literally identical with the exception of speed. Remarks3: xdoom will be free. Can use the registered DOS data to Remarks4: play the registered version in Linux. Will require a Remarks5: new sound driver version just released by Hannu. Entered: 18 Jul 1994