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."

Comments

uuh why not download the sourceforge program

[zaqattack911]

You can run your own copy of sourceforge.
It has everything you listed.

GForge

[Felonius Thunk]

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.

CVSdude

[MarkKnopfler]

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.

cvs over ssh

[ufnoise]

If your or one of your colleagues has an always on connection, you can use cvs over ssh. The data and password are then encrypted. In case your ip number is dynamically allocated, a service such as zoneedit.com can be used to keep updating your hostname to resolve it.

Also be sure to check out phpBB as a bulletin board.

Re:What is your problem?

[ufnoise]

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. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the difference is that sourceforge won't host a closed-source product.

CollabNet

[ManikSurtani]

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.

Code Co-op

[stoborrobots]

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

Re:What is your problem?

[dissy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the difference is that sourceforge won't host a closed-source product.

Depends if you mean sourceforge the site, or sourceforge the software.

The site (sourceforge.net), will not host closed source.

The software (which sourceforge the site runs) is GPL and can be installed on your own server to do anything you would like it to do.
It can be found at http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/alexandria