[W12.bis.dssnp] Semweb and FreedomBox

[Jonas Smedegaard]

On 12-10-12 at 07:55pm, Sebastian Tramp wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 07:38:19PM +0200, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> 
> The main roadmap is to look into this architecture paper here and see 
> what we can port to this: 
> http://www.semantic-web-journal.net/content/architecture-distributed-semantic-social-network

[I only very briefly skimmed the paper]

You mean the achitectural design is in place and your task now is to 
(re)implement the pieces in a way suitable for use in Freedombox?


> > Simply install a minimal Debian installation, and work from there!
> 
> @all: who wants to prepare a working box for the group and give a 
> short introduction to that?
> 
> > If you want the tools stuffed onto the Freedombox builds outside of 
> > Debian, then please tell on the Freedombox mailinglist how it is 
> > inefficient for larger collaboration that apply dirty hacks instead 
> > of using Debian style packaging.
> 
> The freedombox base system is standard debian?  a search for 
> freedombox in http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages#search_packages 
> does not reveal any freedombox related packages ...

Install routines specifically for our prototype hardware (DreamPlug) has 
been custom, because only recently the official Debian Linux kernel and 
install routines (debian-installer) gained support for DreamPlug.

Also, some tools have been developed specifically aimed at use with 
Freedombox which has not yet been packaged and accepted officially in 
Debian.

Current prototype software (the "weekly builds") use those custom 
install routines and development snapshots of those not-yet-in-Debian 
software projects.  But other than that Freedombox is an instance of 
Debian.

So yes, short version is that Freedombox is a Debian system - even if 
Debian contains no packages labelled "Freedombox".


> > In fact, all of you should probably join the Freedombox mailinglist 
> > anyway, to listen and to share opinions and thoughts and findings. 
> > :-)
> > 
> > http://lists.alioth.debian.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/freedombox-discuss
> 
> ok, I am subscribed now ...

Excellent,


> > A major challenge on Freedombox is the space contraints.  That 
> > outrules in my opinion Java- and Scala-based tools due to their 
> > memory needs, which unfortunately is where a lot of exciting semweb 
> > development occurs.
> 
> at our research group, we have a lot of javascript and php development 
> too.

FreedomBox is a system with *no* administrator, so noone to monitor the 
health via logfiles etc and intervene in case of weird behavior.  All we 
can expect is the user turning the box off and on again if it acts 
strangely - and giving up and throwing the box away if it does so too 
often.

I consider PHP too security flawed to run on FreedomBox.  Not that all 
code is broken, but it is too common, and the community too commonly 
behaves too relaxed about secure coding.

That's my personal opinion. Some share that opinion, some don't. YMMV.


> A repository list is available here: https://github.com/AKSW/

Ouch! Java or PHP used in all projects it seems.  Sorry, not for me :-(

It really is a shame - I can imagine lots of man hours invested in those 
projects.

Regarding JavaScript, Node.js is still a young project so haven't yet 
shown if it is as security flawed as PHP.  I sure hope not, as I have 
invested quite some time on packaging nodejs and some surrounding 
libraries for Debian.

Unfortunately a detail of name clash of the main binary caused delays in 
getting Node.js packaging accepted into Debian, and it will most likely 
not be part of next Debian release - which means most likely it will be 
several years before Node.js will officially be part of a stable Debian 
release.


> > ...and don't hesitate to ask if you want my suggestions on ways to 
> > work (but beware that I do lots of packaging but little coding, so 
> > don't blindly assume that suggestions from me are useful for you.
> 
> oh great, I think I have a lot of packaging questions soon since we 
> also prepare debian/ubuntu packages of the LOD2 stack which are all 
> semweb related: http://stack.lod2.eu

Seems from a quick look that (code parts of) it is JavaScript and PHP.

I will be happy to help maintain the JavaScript part: I suggest you (or 
those involved in maintaining it) join the Debian JavaScript team and we 
maintain it there collaboratively: 
http://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Javascript

Regarding PHP parts, there is probably a Debian PHP team as well.  I 
must admit I don't know - as I really try hard to not mess with PHP. :-/


> Can I ask which hardware experience you made

Not sure what you mean.

I have some, but not much, experience playing with ARM devices, 
including juggling u-boot.

I own 3 Plug devices and a few other ARM machines, but I approach them 
mostly as a sysadmin: to me they are simply slow, low power servers.


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

 [x] quote me freely  [ ] ask before reusing  [ ] keep private
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