Sourceforge for Code Repository and other stuff

I have started a process to overhaul the Code Repository and the RoboCoder simulation to a new SourceForge (http://www.sourceforge.net/) project, named frCoder. frCoder will consits of three parts: frcoder-lib (the entries in the repository), frcoder-repository (a PHP based front-end for accessing the repository), and frcoder-ide (a simulator and code-generator written in Java).

The most important part of overhauling the repository is getting the people who originally submitted the code to agree to submit their code under the GNU General Public License so it can be included in the library. I will be PMing the entry submitters about this.

The project page is: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/frcoder/
The project was approved today (submitted last Friday). The registration details follow. My SF username is silverstarv1. If you want to become a developer on the project, PM me.

frCoder (Unix Name: frcoder)

License: GNU General Public License
Public description:

frCoder is a set of tools used to write, test, and simulate software written for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). frCoder also includes basic libraries of common techniques used in the FRC.

Registration description:

The frCoder project has two aims: to provide software to write, test, and simulate C code written for robots in the FIRST Robotics Competition (www.usfirst.org); to provide a stable yet dynamic base of code (library) containing common techniques used in the competition.

The library of common techniques (frCoder-lib) is written using the same language as used on the robot. This language, called "PIC C," runs on the robot's Microchip PICmicro PIC18F8520 processor. In order to make frCoder-lib accessible to more people, a PHP-based front-end (frCoder-repository) will let users view, add, and modify code entries in the library. This repository will also work in a stand-alone format for so that other FIRST teams can install the repository on their team websites. A dynamic version of the frCoder-lib will be stored in a MySQL database, while static releases of frCoder-lib will be released as ZIP files periodically.

The package to write/test/simulate (frCoder-IDE) the robot code will be written in Java Standard Edition 1.4.2 (or better, as updates are released). The user interface will be developed using Swing. Robot source files will be stored in standard ASCII text files. Since it is written in Java, the frCoder-IDE should run on any system that can run Java SE 1.4.2 (or better). The simulator will include an optional Java3D visualization which would only run on systems which have the Java3D package installed (free download from java.sun.com).

The implementation of frCoder-lib should be simple, as most code entries require only standardization and collection of existing implementations. Implementing security features for frCoder-repository will probably the most complicated technical hurdle. For frCoder-IDE, the major technical hurdle will be writing the robot simulator because (a) a physics model will need to be developed for the optional 3D visualization and (b) Java code will need to be written for a type of "introspection" on the robot code written in C. This "introspection" is necessary to determine how the C code will control the robot.

[Max Lobovsky]

That's a nice re-entrance to CD, SilverStar. Sounds awesome, and for once, you didn't do everything from scratch. Anyway, good job

[Astronouth7303]

Sounds cool. Any code I've submitted can be distributed under GNU GPL.
I'm going to have to turn this one down, though. Most of my time is sucked up by openFIRST and FURC. Maybe this can also be an openFIRST module...

[Joe Ross]

You may want to consider licensing frCoder-lib as LGPL. In
order for people to use it as GPL, they will need to GPL their entire
code for their robot. If all you want to do is make sure that changes
to frCoder-lib remain free, it should be LGPL. That way, people can
keep their own custom robot code seperate and not have to license it
to use frCoder-lib.

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

You may want to consider licensing frCoder-lib as LGPL. In
order for people to use it as GPL, they will need to GPL their entire
code for their robot. If all you want to do is make sure that changes
to frCoder-lib remain free, it should be LGPL. That way, people can
keep their own custom robot code seperate and not have to license it
to use frCoder-lib.

The frCoder-lib is now licensed as LGPL.

People who want to submit new code entries to the repository can do so here:

http://frcoder.sf.net/submitentry.php

[CJO]

Our team has been thinking about setting up a CVS server which teams could use to keep their code up to date. MPLAB 7 has CVS support built in. Anyone interested?

[Venkatesh]

Originally Posted by CJO

Our team has been thinking about setting up a CVS server which teams could use to keep their code up to date. MPLAB 7 has CVS support built in. Anyone interested?

I have one here, used by team 1227. CVSNT was a pain to set up, as Astronouth can attest to, but it is (at last) in operation.

If you want space on my CVS server, PM or email me. Or if you need help with CVSNT, PM me or Astronouth.

Good luck.

[CJO]

We were thinking we would run linux and CVs. I have used tortise CVS (client) and liked it.

[ScottWolchok]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

You may want to consider licensing frCoder-lib as LGPL. In
order for people to use it as GPL, they will need to GPL their entire
code for their robot. If all you want to do is make sure that changes
to frCoder-lib remain free, it should be LGPL. That way, people can
keep their own custom robot code seperate and not have to license it
to use frCoder-lib.

This is only true if they RELEASE the code for their robot. The GPL doesn't force you to release your code, but it forces you to make source available with any releases.

[jdong]

encoder.c:

* You are free to use this source code for any non-commercial
* use. Please do not make copies of this source code, modified
* or un-modified, publicly available on the internet or
* elsewhere without permission. Thanks.

I hate these restrictive licenses.

I've already rewritten the PID algorithm (pid-ng): http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.p...s-live/frc2005

NOTE: may not have shown up yet. Use Sourceforge anon CVS if you want to see the latest version -- the webviewer always has a few hour's delay.

I'll rewrite everything else later. Definitely we need clarification on the license.