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Distributed Development of Closed Source Software?
An anonymous reader queries: "After being laid off recently, I got in touch with a few uni friends. We've now decided to start developing some software in our respective spare time(s), which we may consider commercializing depending on how it goes. We've come across a problem that I am sure is not very new. We are all in different countries and different time zones. How do we best collaborate given that we have such a diverse team."
"Currently we think we need a service that provides the following:
1) CVS or some variant, subversion is fine
2) Bug tracking / issue tracking (bugzilla etc)
3) Discussion board with password protection (phpBoard / cute cast)
4) Some software that lets us book meetings in different time zones. (Calendar system which takes timezone differences into account)
5) Telnet (SSH) access is preferred
6) Shouldn't cost an arm and a leg
We are perfectly willing and capable of setting up some of it ourselves, if the service lets us log in via telnet. I know there are lots of services like this for open source development, but are there any for closed source? Have people used some service like this? A cost/feature comparason would be nice, if that information is available."
1) CVS or some variant, subversion is fine
2) Bug tracking / issue tracking (bugzilla etc)
3) Discussion board with password protection (phpBoard / cute cast)
4) Some software that lets us book meetings in different time zones. (Calendar system which takes timezone differences into account)
5) Telnet (SSH) access is preferred
6) Shouldn't cost an arm and a leg
We are perfectly willing and capable of setting up some of it ourselves, if the service lets us log in via telnet. I know there are lots of services like this for open source development, but are there any for closed source? Have people used some service like this? A cost/feature comparason would be nice, if that information is available."
If you are going to use telnet, might as well make
it open source...
...but we're not helping you bastards figured out how to make this "offshoring" thing actually work.
I tell you, if people could actually figure this out, I would be worried about offshoring. Until then, I'll continue to listen to story after story after story about disasters and clusterfuckers.
You can run your own copy of sourceforge.
It has everything you listed.
the latter can be done for pretty damn cheap.
In Bob we trust.
GForge has all of this and is probably exactly what you're looking for. I haven't used it yet, but a couple of friends and I are planning to pretty soon. Also, free (and Free) is good. BYOS(erver), is all.
I've been doing distributed development since 1992. I advise using IRC as the primary means of coordination. You can use Yahoo Messenger chat rooms for free voip meetings, but you'd probably be better off running your own Asterisk server and using SIP phone hardware, since every software voice system I've ever seen sucks. CVS is the old work horse, but subversion is what has traction now, so there's little point in clinging to CVS.
You need a server somewhere. If you are a collection of real-live software developers, probably every last one of you has at least one server online, so it seems odd that you would be looking for a commercial service that gets to own your "closed" source code.
If you actually can't use one of your members' server installations for some reason, just rent a dedicated host and configure these things. None of them are terribly difficult to setup or manage. Any compentent linux admin, given a debian root prompt, could have them all up and running in a matter of an hour or so.
-I like my women like I like my tea: green-
how dare you?!? "closed source." I spit at the word.
ha, just kidding. I'm developing a project which will most likely be closed-source for a while myself. Okay, in addition to all the source management thingies that other people have suggested, I'd definitely set up a private Jabber server for you chaps to collaborate on in real-time. My two cents' worth.
Standing at the very edge of my imagination, I peered into the inky void and realised -- I couldn't think up a new sig.
You can always try https://gna.org/projects/savane It's what powers savannah.gnu.org
"[We'll be] really getting inside your head and making it an unpleasant place to be" -- Trent Reznor
Take a look at CVSDude. It is probably what you need. Offers public subversion and cvs servers. The premium service offers your needs for privacy too. Might be useful for you.
Sometimes I wonder if some people get the full open source,closed source thing at all.
Look buddy, OSS differs from CSS only in how you decide to license it.
The software is the same for bunny's sake, there are no tools that magically will convert your software in OOS or CSS just by using them.
Your question is frankly inane and I wonder why the editors found worth posting (slow day out there guys?).
In regards to distributed development, you seem to have nailed down the tools you need (once you go live plese let us know the name of your software, your awarness of security, telnet????, is pretty reassuring).
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Also be sure to check out phpBB as a bulletin board.
If you want the proper answer to your commercial question then you need to ask me in my commerical consultant capacity, reasonable rates available.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Depending on how much you can afford to pay for such a service, give Collab.Net a try. (http://www.collab.net)
I do something similar, but I've just rebuilt my old PC as a server and have it running all the services you mentioned, connected to my ADSL line at home using a dynamic DNS host. Took me a couple of hrs, using FC2.
-- Manik Surtani
Reliable Software makes a product called "Code Co-op: Server-less Version Control", (free trial, then cheap licence per seat) designed exactly for distributed closed-source development, especially where there is no central server. (I have never used it, but I came across their site more than 5 years ago when looking for good windows programming info, which they still have - also cool scientific programming info.)
That said, there's nothing you mentioned that you cannot do if you rent a *nix box and install alexandria, which powers sourceforge or Savane, which powers Gna.org, LCG Savannah and GNU/Non-GNU Savannah
"Go to CNN [for a] spell-checked, fact-checked summary" -- CmdrTaco
If I had any mod points, I'd mod you up to the friggen ceiling.
(True, I could only mod you up by 1 point. But it's the thought that counts.)
3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE
SourceForge.net is a website owned and operated by OSTG for the purpose of fostering software development and content creation under Open-Source Initiative ("OSI")-approved licenses or other arrangements relating to software and/or content development that may be approved by OSTG (the "Purpose").
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Probably the two best closed source collaboration tools are Lotus Notes or Groove.
Notes you can get someone else to host it. Groove doesn't require a central server. Both allow you replicate your discussion board offline.
I've used Groove for quite some time to facilitate distributed development. It allows you to share files, discussions, etc.. from a single client. For source control, hosting a CVS server wouldn't be hard on any hosting service that allows a shell account.
try it here
Use Wiki Wiki to discuss design decisions, keep track of bugs and various issues, post GUI snapshots, maintain documentation...
The good thing with Wiki, compared to forums, is that the information will be better organized, easier to search, and you can use your CVS server to maintain a history.
There are many good Wiki Wiki implementations available, just google for TWiki or Kwiki as a start...
"In our tactical decisions, we are operating contrary to our strategic interest."
You really should take a look at basecamp. It is great for organizing messaging and calendars for a far-flung team. Password protected with multiple logins. Free to try for a single project so there is really no reason not to try it out. Export everything as XML if you move to something else.
GREAT interface. One of the best web apps I have ever used.
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