On 08/06/2011 04:00 AM, Tomasz Finc wrote:
- the promised things like regular ZIM dumps sohuld be finally done by
WMF to support the spread of the software / project
: The current XML dumps is system is fairly broken and has been a nightmare to manage over the last couple of years. And if you think the XML system is bad then don't even look at the HTML generation system. Instead of pushing more work into it we've opted to go for a much simpler route. Allow the collections infrastructure to generate full project files. Using the existing system we make the workflow much easier for anyone wanting openZIm files while at the same time not making our infrastructure more complicated then it needs to be.
I agree, this is maybe the simplest way today... but the time we may save now will have to be invest/waste in the future. So, after many discussions, also in Wikimania, I'm really not convinced by this approach and I think this is not the best way.
The way which is really efficient and sustainable is to work on DumpHTML: * This is the faster solution * This is trivial to deploy for Mediawiki admins (should also be the case at the WMF) * This is not too expensive to develop * This allows to make sophisticated post-treatment if necessary * You may modify the rendering in details (we work directly with the mediawiki render engine) * This is a simple and maintainable (works with hooks and skins) solution
That's the reason why I will propose a grant request to a chapter to get that done for the summer 2012. Preparation of the grant request is already started, feel free to make comment on the talk page: http://www.kiwix.org/index.php/Mediawiki_DumpHTML_extension_improvement#Work...
- openZIM and Kiwix are hardly able to cope with the expectations due
to missing developers - not only software-wise but also concerning documentation
Totally agree. We've made some amazing progress on both the Kiwix betas and Collections extension but we can still do more. I think we have to look at the engagement that we do (LinuxTag, Wikimania, Berlin Dev Conf, beta testing, blog posts, etc) and really assess whats working and whats not. The chapters can do a lot here to fund initiatives and help run them.
I think, what is urgent is to find a solution with the WMF for openZIM dev. ressources. For Kiwix, I think what is essential is to get the chapters involved. So, if the WMF continues to support Kiwix dev. in the manner they do today, this is perfect.
- reimbursement for the server to build ZIM files
+1
Ok, what would be the best way to request that. At Kiwix we have two servers; * one rented for the online presence * one in my guestroom to build the ZIM files. This is a server with a disk array.
We speak her of the second one (I already get money for the first one). It costs around 5000 euros.
- house the Kiwix server in a NOC
+1 .. I've said for a while that we should just move it over to download.wikipedia.org
What is the NOC? I think we have to keep it in Europe and at the best in the neighborhood of Switzerland.
- writing proposal for a contractor on openZIM
Looking overhttp://openzim.org/Roadmap its bit hard to know what's happening post Wikimania. Whats the future look like?
I could prepare something if needed?
Regards Emmanuel