[NTLUG:Discuss] Setting up VirtualBox OSE

[Robert Pearson]

On 3/22/09, Alex Maurin <maurin.alex at gmail.com> wrote:
> How do I make a developer workstation out of my laptop.
>
>  I have googled this, and still can't figure it out.
>
>  I have not been able to really learn python without being able to
>  experiment on it.
>
>  I have little idea where to begin.
>
>  I am not familiar with the open source development cycle.
>
>  I was hoping my first project would be a
>  platform-independent remote secondary package manager to help support
>  techs install software remotely.
>
>  Basically, one would install this package manager using the primary
>  package manager of the platform, using DEBs, RPMs or whatever.
>
>  I want the user to be able to install this easily on any platform Java
>  or Python can handle.
>
>  I want to install Python Eggs as the packages.
>
>  Say I email my client a link to my website with a Java Web Start link.
>
>  He clicks it, installs it.
>
>  Now I walk him through the install over the phone, installing the Egg Manager.
>
>  Over the phone, I then negotiate a connection to his computer via
>  passwords and certificates.
>
>  Once that is done, I now have the means to install further software in
>  Python and Java, regardless of platform, by way of the add-on manager.
>
>  VNC alone does not work for me.
>  SSH alone does not work for me.
>
>  I need to install services to use them.
>
>  I thought, in my limited understanding, that perhaps Java + Python is
>  the way to go, all things considered.
>
>  I also thought that Java Web Start would work well, as the install is
>  over the network.
>
>  I thought that Python would be the scripting language most of the app
>  was written in, including the add-ons that provided
>  platform-independence and services.
>
>  I thought that Python Eggs would be an ideal way to install new
>  add-ons using this universal add-on manager.
>
>  What I actually want to learn is how an ideal project gets set up.
>
>  Here is my ideal afaik:
>
>  Python as the primary language.
>
>  Mercurial as the version control system.
>
>  DEB as the (default) package format. (I'll learn RPM JAR and EGG formats later.)
>
>  Where do I begin?
>
>  I love the ideas of Python and Mercurial, but don't know how to use them.
>
>  RE: http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/distributed-revision-control-systems-git-vs-mercurial-vs-svn
>
>  Thank you very much!
>
>  _______________________________________________
>  http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>


I would recommend you look at:
<http://www.meetup.com/dfwpython/>

In particular the meeting this coming Saturday at:
<http://www.meetup.com/dfwpython/calendar/9915470/>

The club wiki page is having problems while I am writing this at:
<http://www.python.org/dfw>

I do not know if you will find anyone doing exactly what you are
trying to do with VirtualBox OSE. Many people develop on Macs. Nice if
you can afford it.
There are some valid technical  reasons for using Macs with OS X over PCs.
OS X is wonderful with DTrace.

I'm glad I answered this. I have been meaning to get back into the
Saturday sessions.
This Saturday would be good for me...

As a side note, have you researched power users (real big time
developers) who are using VirtualBox? The people I know who are doing
Java and Python typically use PCs running Windows or Linux (if the
company is not paying for the laptop and OS).
The reason is that if it will run on Windows it would from a
"no-brainer to trivial" to port the code to Linux or Unix. The Mac is
a little more involved and not as lucretive a market.
Some people are now attempting to actually test code before release
which has been unheard of for years. Microsoft set the "new" standard
for "testing. They let the users do it. They have "alpha" and "beta"
users but the code they dump on ordinary users is pretty rough, which
means there is a sharp drop-off in the skill/knowledge level of the
"alpha/beta" to ordinary users. A problem we thought we had solved in
order to sell software to the government. We refined testing to a fine
art. Probably too fine...