3.11 questions

It looks like I finally have an opportunity to make a push to upgrade
our platform to 3.11 (from 3.9).  I've started looking around and have
a few questions.

1) VM:  what VM should I be using for Linux?  I guess I need a
closure-enabled VM, is there one already pre-built somewhere?  I
looked all over squeak.ftp.org but didn't see it.  I'm running with
the Pharo VM in the meantime.

2) What is the best approach for getting started with loading and
porting my packages?  I'd like to start by running my test cases, but
I cannot open a SqueakMap Package Loader (should I be able to?) to
easily load my SAR's.

3)  Monticello:  Since Monticello also does not support loading of
Monticello Configurations, is there an easier way I can do this than
loading individual packages one by one?  I'm going to need to solve
the software configuration problem in 3.11, but it doesn't have to be
MC Configurations.  What is the current best-practice for making a
single-click loadable configuration in 3.11?

4) I have refactored DirectoryEntry to no longer inherit from
ArrayedCollection.  Is this an improvement with any community
interest?  If so, I would like try the contribution process.  Do I
just save my new Files package to http://source.squeak.org/inbox?  I
don't see much of anything else in there, is this still the process?
Where can I learn about how to contribute?

I do hope to return to greater participation in community like I used
to.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
  Chris

On 3 February 2010 17:34, Chris Muller <[hidden email]> wrote:
> It looks like I finally have an opportunity to make a push to upgrade
> our platform to 3.11 (from 3.9).  I've started looking around and have
> a few questions.
>
> 1) VM:  what VM should I be using for Linux?  I guess I need a
> closure-enabled VM, is there one already pre-built somewhere?  I
> looked all over squeak.ftp.org but didn't see it.  I'm running with
> the Pharo VM in the meantime.
>

There's no separate 'Pharo VM'. Both Squeak and Pharo using same VM.
So, if you can run Pharo on it, you could use it for squeak images
without problems.


Are we talking about same thing? The current development is using a
'trunk' process, and there are a number of images
released over past half year , located here:
http://ftp.squeak.org/trunk/
and they contain a squeak map, as well as MC configs.

Personally, i prefer Installer scripts, like:

SCouchDB class>>install

        "install packages"
        Installer mantis ensureFix: '7446: [BUG][FIX] SocketStream>>peek'.
       
        (Installer repository: 'http://www.squeaksource.com/SCouchDB')
                install: 'JSON';
                install: 'SCouchDB-Core';
                install: 'SCouchDB-Tests'.

user loading a simple package, like 'MyStuff-Installer'.
And then doing:

MyStuff install
which loads the rest of code.

I never used SqMap or MC configs for packaging my stuff.
I found that with Installer its an easiest way to do.

> 4) I have refactored DirectoryEntry to no longer inherit from
> ArrayedCollection.  Is this an improvement with any community
> interest?  If so, I would like try the contribution process.  Do I
> just save my new Files package to http://source.squeak.org/inbox?  I
> don't see much of anything else in there, is this still the process?
> Where can I learn about how to contribute?
>

If you not in core-devs group, who can push packages directly to trunk,
you can put them into inbox.
There are quite democratic process how to make your code appear in trunk.
All you need to do is to give people a sense that your code is
valuable - openly describe & discuss the improvements you wanna bring
into image, so people could evaluate it. Actually, this is the way how
everything, except some minor stuff & bug fixes, should appear in the
trunk.

A full description is here:
http://squeakboard.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/a-new-community-development-model/

> I do hope to return to greater participation in community like I used
> to.  Any help is greatly appreciated.
>

You're wellcome! Please, count on me for any help you may require :)

> Thanks,
>  Chris
>
>



--
Best regards,
Igor Stasenko AKA sig.

Hi Chris:

A good tool is Metacello, that permit to configure versions and dependencies
in a smart way. If I not bad remember I think that Miguel Cobá developed
a MetacelloConfigurationOrMagma also.


>
> You're wellcome! Please, count on me for any help you may require :)
>


Same here :)

Cheers.
Germán.

On Wed, 2010-02-03 at 09:34 -0600, Chris Muller wrote:
> Do I
> just save my new Files package to http://source.squeak.org/inbox?  I
> don't see much of anything else in there, is this still the process?
> Where can I learn about how to contribute?

Weeks ago you were sent an invitation to become a core-dev which would
allow you to commit directly to trunk.  To accept that invitation simply
create an account on source.squeak.org and as soon as I notice I will
add you to the core-dev group.

For those not in the core-dev group the inbox is world writable.  The
idea is that submissions found there be evaluated by any core-dev
member.  If the submission is considered valid copy or merge it into the
trunk as appropriate, if there is a problem move it to the Treated Inbox
and contact the submitter with comments.

Ken