Developers Assistant
Summary
Perform a series of various changes to improve developer experience on Fedora.
Owner
- Name: Jan Zelený
- Email: <jzeleny@redhat.com>
- Name: Marcela Mašláňová
- Email: <mmaslano@redhat.com>
(Please add yourself if you are responsible for some part of it).
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 19
- Last updated: 2013-03-12
- Percentage of completion: 100%
See the progress at https://github.com/bkabrda/devassistant. Currently, we're finishing C/Java/Python assistants, we decided to include other languages later on (we'll probably do a non-disruptive update before beta freeze).
Package is now on review: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=919460
Done.
Detailed Description
This feature aims on setting up development environment for various languages. Target groups include beginning developers but also experienced developers not used to GNU/Linux as well as experienced Linux developers not used to Fedora.
This feature will cover a basic set of tasks which will prepare Fedora for later additions. The first part of the feature is a review of comps groups which would lead to better granularity of package sets necessary for development in different languages. Another part is about providing tool or tools for simple start of a project in terms of creating project template based on different languages and/or frameworks which the project should use.
There are other optional activities like vim/eclipse/emacs/... plugins, integration of rpm build tools, .... These optional parts are not goal for F19 but they will be integrated in time.
Assistants can be written either as YAML configuration files or as python module.
Languages:
- C/C++ (phracek FedoraProjectWiki)
- create YAML configuration file
- sample C/C++ files
- rpm dependencies
- compilation over autotools
- spec file for creating RPM package
- documentation how add new C/C++ sources and how to build up (README)
- Ruby (vondruch)
- Python (bkabrda)
- README which will describe what is needed in case like add files/ modify structure etc.
- Perl (mmaslano)
- PHP (rcollet)
- Java (msrb)
- Javascript
Other activities:
- vim (phracek)
- clarify whether is possible to include into vimrc file row which will enable devassistant
- eclipse (phracek)
- integrate project into eclipse environment
- test basic eclipse functionality like compilation, debugging, etc.
- rpm build tools
- each assistant should have one spec file for building RPM package
- create sample subroutine in YAML configuration file which can be used by each language
- git integration
- create local repository
- call git commands from configuration script (YAML)
- registration project on GitHub repository
- downloading project from GitHub repository
Benefit to Fedora
Make the development on Fedora easier for beginners.
Scope
- Adding new (leaf) packages, which will contain setup scripts.
- Comps: a review of existing development-related package groups will take place
- cleanup of some groups will be necessary
- new groups might be created to meet the demand for per-language tool and library sets
How To Test
Try to install package containing setup for your favourite language.
User Experience
Entry barrier for development on Linux should be lower. Inexperienced users will be able to setup their development faster.
Dependencies
None at the moment, none expected. We intend to build on top of current state of Fedora.
Contingency Plan
Do not ship the result if not ready. Since the feature is not required for anything else in the system, there will be no complications if not shipped. Changes in comps groups will be consulted before pushed and if necessary, changes can be simply reverted.
Documentation
Blog posts will be released to make some publicity. Man pages will be primary source of documentation for the functionality. The documentation will be developed along with the functionality
adding user to sudoers is needed
For right developer assistant functionality user has to be added to sudoers file. This has to be done because of during the work with developer assistant some packages could be installed.
This can be done so that user will switch to user root (over su - command) and write down command visudo. Following row has to be added at the end of that file which will ensure that user will be allowed for installing packages after entering user password
<user_name> ALL=(ALL) /usr/bin/yum
<user_name> is not root by real username (can be obtained by command id).
Each assistant (or language) should distribute documentation how to change current created project and how to use them. Including IDE and usability.
GitHub Integration
one part of that feature was to have a possibility export projects to the GitHub repository.
This part is mostly done but has one restriction.
User have to have already existing account on the GitHub server. Without that we are not able to upload projects on the GitHub server
Release Notes
Developers Assistant feature will provide packages containing skeletons, settings, which will provide help to developers. Also new or improved yum groups are part of this feature.
Comments and Discussion