Ajax.NET and the open source trouble

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 1:44:00 PM

Some weeks ago I wrote here on my blog that Ajax.NET will go online as an open source project. I tried several hosters for this project but I ran in different problems because I never put source code online using tools like CVS or SVN. Because I want to have the Ajax.NET project an open source project I was searching for developers and companies that have some experience with open source projects.

Now, I have found a company in Austria that will host the open source project: SediSys GmbH. You can find more information about the company at their web site: www.SediSys.com. If you want to write an email use the address: chubinger [AT] sedisys.com.

29 Comments

  • Chad said

    Are you using a different source control platform? (Sourcegear Vault, Sourcesafe, etc...) If so I can understand wanting to find a public repository multiple developers can work on.

    If you just want to distribute the source in a compressed format (zip/tgz) you could put the source online at sourceforge just as you did with the release. Problem solved.

  • Jay R. Wren said

    If you would like to use sourceforge or one of the other CSV or SVN sites to put source online, let me know. I can assist you in putting your source online.

    TortoiseSVN and TortoiseCVS are very good and easy to use SVN and CSV tools which integrate with Windows Explorer. Try them if you have not.

  • Simone Chiaretta said

    Michael,
    I don't understand what is the problem with SF.net...
    anyway, what will the license be? GPL? LGPL? I'm making an opensource application and I'd like to use your library in it... but, in order to use it, it must be a compatible license...

    Simone

  • Christian Hubinger said

    Hi to all!

    I'm the employee at SediSys responsible for the Ajax.NET project. As Michal wrote in the SF forum and in this Blog my Company is going to continiue the Ajax.NET development as an Open Source project, so don't worry about the delays the source will be released soon.

    In order to provide the best infratructure available we'll set up a dedicated server to host the Ajax.NET project, using Subversion for source control (well CVS is simply to limited in it's features), provide a Wiki, Forums, Mailinglists etc.

    Surely that can not be setup in a few seconds so please stay patience we'll do our best to release the source code as soon as possible.

    greetings,
    chris



  • F said

    "Surely that can not be setup in a few seconds so please stay patience we'll do our best to release the source code as soon as possible."

    Surely this kind of a small project does not need a dedicated server just for it?

    Setting up a repository, a web page etc would be done in seconds, why do you want to go over the top with this?

  • Jason Bunting said

    This is a circus of an open-source project if I have ever seen one. Release the code in a zip file for now, worry about CVS later. Seriously though, I don't understand why you can't just post your current source code in a zip file on your normal Ajax site or the SF site until SediSys has it working elsewhere. Seems a bit fishy to me.

  • Eric said

    Now more than a month since this went "open source." I suspect we'll see Atlas before we see the source code.

    The sourceforge site has been removed, without explanation. Fortunately only Michael's explanations are obfuscated, not the library.

  • Eric said

    Andrew, the fact that Jason has the source code is not really the point. Michael is the owner of this "open source" project, and Jason is obviously respecting that by encouraging the actual release of the code. Moreover, building from original source is always preferable to decompiling to source. My question of you would be why you continue to give Jason a hard time for doing something Michael should have done over a month ago. If Michael doesn't want to release the source that's fine, but he should not have declared library open source in the first place, nor should he continue to string us along with this BS about hosting providers when he could have just put up a zip file in the first place.

  • Andrew Cupper said

    My question of you would be why you continue to give Michael a hard time when he's put the effort into developing this product, and you still want to get it for free? In my experience, if you want something from somebody then you should be nice to them... :-) Let's all try to convince Michael that we are really nice people and deserve his source code ;-)

  • Chad said

    At this point there are multiple other cross platform libraries that perform the same type of functions that this one does. Except they have clear licenses, roadmaps, and developmers that respond clearly and quickly to questions. It doesn't hurt that they aren't also vague.

  • Andre Pangraz said

    Hi Chad, Michael is in contact with Microsoft to help for the ATLAS Framework. There are roadmaps, licenses and fast respond by email. Try to contact him and you will get an answer... I find the library GREAT, thank you Michael for this cool software. Go on with that development...!!!!!!

  • Eric said

    Andrew: clearly you don't get it. This is not an issue about paying for Michael's work. I respect that Michael's rights to his code, and to make money for it if he so chooses. I have no tolerance for the absurdity of declaring a project open source without making the source available. The sourceforge site has been closed down without explanation, and the source always seems to be just a few days away from being released. This whole business about switching providers and having difficulty setting up a source control system is at the very least highly suspicious.

    Andre: Your response is a perfect example of the problem with this "project." I have no idea how you got the information that "Michael is in contact with Microsoft to help for the ATLAS Framework. There are roadmaps, licenses" but I find it odd that none of this information if coming from Michael himself. Why would he share all this with you via email, rather than posting it on the site?

  • Michael Schwarz said

    @Eric: Hi, the source code will be available at the SediSys homepage in the next days. Please contact chubinger [at] sedisys.com for more info! I am in contact with the ASP.NET team in Redmond. We are talking about my feedback I got from the Ajax.NET library and what developers told me they are missing in ASP.NET.

  • Jason Bunting said

    I simply want to say this: I love this project, and although I have heard there are others that work just as well, this one was the first one I used, it works for my current purposes and therefore I haven't had a need to look for anything else. The frustrations I have had are that it WAS declared to be open source, it has already been declared to be free, and it simply seemed strange that all of the subsequent information we have received on it has been vague and confusing. I simply want to use something I know has a definite future that will remain, at the very least, free. If it is not open, I am not as concerned, although it would be nice to be able to say "Hey, I noticed that this piece is doing XYZ when it should do ABC" and submit bugfixes.

    Personally, I hope Atlas proves much better than this library, if only because I have a lot of confidence in MS doing a superb job on this (made even better if Michael is in the loop, since he obvious knows a thing or two about building this type of thing, as well as understands what people want, since he has been receiving feedback that MS can't necessarily receive on Atlas until it is released).

    As for me using the decompiled source, Eric said what I feel: the real source is what I am after - decompiled source is okay, but usually reflects (no pun intended) the idiosyncrasies inherent in going from IL back to a higher-level language, since IL is obviously a little closer to the metal.

    Whatever happens, I do hope we (including myself) start behaving more like adults in the discussion of this matter. :P

  • Grandepuffo said

    the sourceforge project was closed by the sourceforge team, because project admin was asked and did not release the source code
    as sf rules say: "Only Open Source projects may be hosted on SourceForge.net. Projects are expected to meet the requirements of the Open Source Definition and abide by the spirit of that definition"
    and
    "projects may not make binary-only releases"

  • Bil Simser said

    What's going on here? You didn't put together a source release (just zip up the damn code) so the SF site gets shut down. We're told it'll be a matter of days before the code hits the SediSys site yet I still don't see it (the site seems to be down now). What's the issues here with the code. I'm confused.

  • Michael Schwarz said

    @Bil: SediSys has already started the project. Hopefully they can make it public today. Because I have sold the source code to SediSys I cannot put a ZIP file on my server. :(

    CIAO
    Michael

  • Bil Simser said

    Thanks Michael. I see in another set of comments that you mentioned you just got your credentials today (8/9) so we'll hopefully see the source shortly (however I still can't connect to the SediSys site but that might be me). Great work on this BTW as it's an excellent tool to hold us over if Atlas ever sees the light of day. Thanks.

  • Darren said

    You sold the source to a company? So, I take it that it is no longer open source...i guess it never was.

    Are you saying SediSys is going to offer it as open source?

    There are thousands of open source projects on sourceforge or other sites? I've never heard of all these problems before.

    Now the big question: who or what owns SediSys?

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