Nut upsdev - Dec 2008 - FossCamp / UDS feedback and 2.4 roadmap update

Just back from the FossCamp / Ubuntu Developer Summit, at the Googleplex.
great peoples, great place, great ideas... Ubuntu Community and
Canonical guys are amazing!

we have had a lot of presentations and discussions, on many subjects,
either upstream (like NUT itself) or the distro integration. and we've
had a lot of fun too ^_^
thanks again to Canonical and Nick for inviting the French'ian /me ;-)

For those who want to see, there are a few incoming entries on planet.ubuntu.com
I recommend checking Nick's pictures:
http://nicolas.barcet.com/drupal/uds-jaunty
imnsho, NUT has a good score in term of number of (smiley face)
apparition occurrences ;-)

Now, I'll try to sum up my various conclusions, and the few update on
the roadmap:

* first, we have 10 days left until the release of 2.4.0-pre1. so
there are a few optional things that will either be postponed after
-pre1, if these doesn't affect the core, or after 2.4.0 release,
* we have had some presentations and discussions about the configuration.
Augeas (http://augeas.net), seems to be an interesting option.
it's just for templating and generating config, not for the deployment
though.
* we have also had some talk about the deployment with puppet
(http://reductivelabs.com/trac/puppet)
and ocsinventory (http://www.ocsinventory-ng.org), and a possible
integration into Landscape (https://landscape.canonical.com).
* the Power Capping technology has also been introduced:
https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/power-capping
It has no direct link with NUT, but there is a strong interest in
using both in conjunction.
* finally, we have started to talk about Cloud / Green computing, and
how to manage power efficiency.
not much than floating ideas for the moment, but there should be some
interesting development in a soon future...

Here are the roadmaps for both NUT 2.4.0 usptream and its
Debian/Ubuntu packaging:

* Upstream:
---------------
- I'll be looking creating the lens for Augeas, and provide these in the
source
- we may check with David and the Canonical guys for creating probably
2 configuration wizards:
one using Augeas, with a more complete/complex emphasis ; one for
simple need without Augeas => /me
I reserve the right to commit things on that point during the pre
cycle, meeting my above constraint.
@David: I'd like to talk with you about that (maybe over the phone).
Please ping me back.
- the Powerman support need to be counter checked. A few API changes
seems to have appeared lately => /me
- the "make package" target is abandoned, following the recent round
table with the packagers and the team (cleanup) => Arjen or Charles
(or /me)?
the os detection m4 macro will however be commited, since it may soon
be useful => /me
- integrate the Python NUT class and application from David: =>
Charles? (can you take over that one please?)
- complete the NUT Packaging Standard (doc/packaging.txt) => /me
- complete & merge the upsdrv-info-struct branch => Arjen or /me
- check for integrating the remaining patchs and fix the bugs, both in
Alioth and the distro trackers => all the team
- check for a small CGI update, to include CSS support. The updated
Web framework are postponed to at least 2.4.1 => Jonathan Bonzy
(colleague) and /me
- new drivers completion (mostly blazer) => Arjen and Alexander

* Packaging:
----------------
- I'm currently finishing the Powerman debianisation. The first
release should be available next week in Debian and Ubuntu,
- the NUT 2.4.0 debs will provide a nut-powerman-pdu package, with the
powerman-pdu driver,
- the NUT debs update will be polished during the -pre cycle, so that
the packages will be ready for shipment as soon as the final 2.4.0 is
released,
- I've also started auditing pwrkap (the IBM one:
http://pwrkap.sourceforge.net). I'll issue the Debian Intent To
Package (ITP) as soon as the maintainer will have replied to my
initial audit mail.
- pwrkap Debian upload (and so Ubuntu availability) will then mostly
depend on the maintainer reactivity,

* Others:
- I'll check with Canonical Ubuntu for a Puppet + Augeas integration
in Ubuntu Server 9.04 Jaunty,
- I'll also check with them for Landscape integration,
- continue the discussions about Cloud / Green computing, and Power Efficiency.

I hope I've not forgotten anything, though it's quite possible.
Feedback / comments and help very welcome ;-)

cheers,
Arnaud (still over jet lagged!)
-- 
Linux / Unix Expert R&D - MGE Office Protection Systems -
http://www.mgeops.com
Network UPS Tools (NUT) Project Leader - http://www.networkupstools.org/
Debian Developer - http://people.debian.org/~aquette/
Free Software Developer - http://arnaud.quette.free.fr/