Orphanages For Abandoned Free Software? 15
flea asks: "I recently went on a fishing expedition for a command-line, GPL'd document encoder/decoder for the Palm's popular DOC format. Using Google, I found lots of references to the Palm-OS-HOWTO, and a smattering of other sites, each of which refer to one of about 5 e-mail addresses for the author of the program, and a single Web site. All of the e-mail bounced back to me, and the URL is invalid. I don't have an FTP server to host the project from, and don't consider myself a very benevolent dictator, so I'd like to find a home for the source. I know there's a mechanism in place for people who want to adopt abandoned projects, but what about those of us who simply want to set the basket on the doorstep in hopes that someone competent will take it under their wing (forgive the metaphor-mixing)? If nothing else, an ftp site that can be indexed by Google so that people can FIND the source for such projects would be better than the current state of affairs."
Orphanages (Score:2)
This is how Polarbar Mailer [polarbar.org] came to be. Polarbar is a all java mailer that came from JStreet Mailer.
But generally, when a company goes under, the creditors think that the code is worth money. By the time they realize it's not, they can't find it anymore and everyone is gone.
some urls: (Score:4)
DOOSS [linuxave.net] -- Database of Orphaned Open Source Software
orphansource.org [cainux.com] -- The home for orphaned source code, programs, and software projects.
UFO [bero.org] -- Unmaintained Free software and Open source projects.
Trioxin [trioxin.com] -- A project to keep track of the status of Free Software projects.
greetings, eMBee.
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Re:Orphanages (Score:1)
What was more annoying is that the reason for the program no longer working was trivial - usually an API change that can be fixed by 5 minutes work with the source and a recompile.
The worst case was when a network utility vendor who was good at updating all their code, (some had been in constant use for 7-8 years), sold everything to another vendor. This second vendor effectivly killed everything off, and when the new version of the host OS appeared a few months later not one of the tools would work on the then current version. Pity, as there were no real replacements for the majority of them.
SourceForge, Server51 (Score:2)
Yes, you would have to put some effort into maintaining at least that infrastructure, but you could build a simple page where you ask for someone else to really take over the project.
Just because you would be hosting it, doesn't mean you are leading the project. As soon as a real, qualified leader stands up, you can simply turn over your small FTP/WWW site maintainance and everyone's happy.
are you looking for MakeDoc? (Score:1)
If you're looking for the "free DOC encoder", it might be a little hard to find, because it got bought out by Aportis a few years ago. (For obvious reasons, they "encouraged" the author to stop distributing free software.) However, the GPL means that all distributed versions are still Free. Visit ftpsearch [lycos.com] and look for makedoc7.cpp. Alternatively, it is included on the O'Reilly Palm book CD. (You can get ORA titles for ~40% off at bookpool [bookpool.com], so this book and its CD is a pretty good deal.)
~wog
Re:SourceForge, Server51 (Score:2)
Re:are you looking for MakeDoc? (Score:1)
http://zurk.sourceforge.net...its called ZDOC. should be d/lable from any of the palm sites too...i have around 4000 users.
yeah, a ftp archive with google search would be REALLY KEWL. please put one up! i've been whining to freshmeat for a loong time about it.
Unmaintained Free Software (Score:1)
Chris Hagar
Palm Doc Creation (Score:1)
The development version of AbiWord currently has the capability to export PalmDoc format .pdb files.
www.abisource.com [abisource.com]
If you do not want to download from the CVS, you can get the latest release (0.7.11) later this week (so I'm told ;-)
Re:some urls: (Score:2)
if you look here [sourceforge.net] you'll notice that i just pasted the links from there. thanks to Uwe Hermann for collecting them,
oh and the title to the top link should be "Unmaintained Free Software" and not UFO
(so much for proofreading)
greetings, eMBee.
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Re:are you looking for MakeDoc? (Score:2)
Re:are you looking for MakeDoc? (Score:1)
Maybe some day I'll have the time to actually learn c++. If it's not been adopted, then I'll use it and it's users as guinnee pigs.
Thanks for the help everyone!
Source posted in this thread, moderated to (Score:1)
Is it because it specifically addressed the problem of finding the program in question, and not the concept of free software? By that standard, this comment deserves to be moderated down, because it is about the moderation of posts here.
Great Browser Archive (Score:2)
The other way of doing this of course, is simply to download and install the appropriate browser from the evolt.org browser archive at http://browsers.evolt.org/ [evolt.org].
Re:are you looking for MakeDoc? (Score:1)