Organizing and Supporting User Contributed Software on Andrew

/USR/CONTRIBUTED CAVEAT

The software and documentation in /usr/contributed are supported by users on campus rather than by the central support organizations. Questions or comments about the contents of /usr/contributed should be sent to the support person for the particular application, library, or information file. The support person is cited in the Support Person section at the end of the documentation for the particular topic.

Computing Services provides Andrew users with a directory in which their own software, public domain software, freeware or shareware may be installed and made available to the campus community. The goal of this effort is to provide users with a wide range of available software while maintaining a high level of reliability.

The Purpose of User Contributed

The directory /usr/contributed is to be used for programs, libraries, help files and documentation which are of general interest to Andrew users, but are supported and maintained by campus developers. Programs and libraries installed in /usr/contributed will be supported and maintained by the individuals who submit them. The applications may have been developed locally or they may be public domain, freeware or shareware. In all cases, users who wish to have software installed on Andrew must obtain permission from the developer (such permission may take the form of an open source license such as the GPL). Computing Services provides space and administrative services for the collection, but makes no official guarantee as to the utility, quality, health or fitness of the software in /usr/contributed.

Policies

Regarding applications, libraries and documentation

All User-Contributed applications and libraries must be submitted in the form of proposals for approval to the User-Contributed Administrator. This person acts as Gatekeeper for releasing User-Contributed software from the development stage to the campus community. The Gatekeeper insures the integrity of the User-Contributed collection and has the authority to take action to maintain that integrity.

Applications, libraries, and documentation in /usr/contributed must meet the following criteria:

Source and Makefile are required
Whether the submission contains applications, libraries, or documentation, it must be organized in a source area with a Makefile. The Makefile should have targets to create, install and clean each application, as well as install any documentation.

Documentation is required--either an html file, help file or a "man" page
If the application does not compile or install across all currently supported cpu types, the documentation must specify where it is available. If the submission is itself documentation, then it must be in a form readable on Andrew, usually HTML or man format. Responsibility for keeping submitted documentation accurate and up to date rests with the designated support person (see below).

A designated support person is required
The support person is responsible for bug fixes, updates, and users' questions. The name and electronic-mail address of the support person must be listed in the help or man page of the application. In the case of documentation, this person is responsible for keeping it accurate and up-to-date. Bug reports, user questions, and news updates are to be mailed directly or be forwarded to the designated support person.

Additionally, andrew.contributed, a top-level bboard, has been created for posting comments, hints, bug reports and gripes about User-Contributed software and documentation. Support people are responsible for monitoring this and any related bboards for questions, bug-reports, and official information concerning their software and the user-contributed collection as a whole.

A unique name is required
To avoid name conflicts with supported software, all user-contributed submissions must have a name unique from any other in the system. The name must also be descriptive of the use or functionality of the package. However, individual routines within a library archive may have non-unique names.

Regarding support persons

All applications, libraries, and documentation must have a designated support person. If the support person relinquishes support, through admission or omission, the User-Contributed Administrator will do the following:

Assess the reliability software
If the program is broken and/or endangers the system or users' files, then the application or library will be removed immediately and replaced with a shell-script that informs potential users what has happened.

If the problem does not endanger the system or users' files, the application or library will not be removed, and the User-Contributed Administrator may proceed to the next step, which is the recruitment of a new support person. Such recruitment will be conducted through a post to the andrew.contributed bboard.

If a new support person is found, then that person assumes responsibility for everything associated with that software package, including bug-fixes and user questions.

If a new support person cannot be found, the application or library will remain on the system. However, Computing Services reserves the right to remove the application if it begins to cause problems, does not work, or is no longer available on any supported Andrew platforms.

If at any time a user has an interest in taking over maintainership of a contributed collection, an effort will first be made to contact the current maintainer and have them effect any desired changes.

Regarding additional information and becoming a contributor

Additional information, such as how to submit software to the User-Contributed collection, can be obtained by addressing questions to the andrew.contributed bboard, which is monitored by the User-Contributed Administrator, or by sending mail to contributed+@andrew.cmu.edu.

Once the Administrator has approved a proposal or submission, the latter if the applications or libraries have already been developed, then the contributor is awarded space on the system in which to place and create source and Makefiles. Details for managing this space are contained in the User-Contributed Maintainer's Guide which is sent to new contributors through electronic mail upon the creation of this space. This file is also available as /usr/contributed/html/MaintainersGuide.html.

Support Person

Please send questions and/or comments to the User-Contributed Administrator, contributed+@andrew.cmu.edu

Last Updated

August 13, 2003, by Rob Siemborski

/USR/CONTRIBUTED CAVEAT

The software and documentation in /usr/contributed are supported by users on campus rather than by the central support organizations. Questions or comments about the contents of /usr/contributed should be sent to the support person for the particular application, library, or information file. The support person is cited in the Support Person section at the end of the documentation for the particular topic.