Linux version up to date?

[starter83]

So far I don't exactly know what features are missing compared to the current windows version. Is there maybe a comparison chart or something like this available?

The existing linux version looks very promising and as you say it is stable and usable.

But I believe it could scare potential users away that it 'seems' the software is outdated and not maintained anymore. Maybe that could also be another reason that additional linux developers are not more interested in contributing to the project.

Can a developer maybe outline what skills are needed to contribute to the project from a technical point of view (programming language etc.) and what could be a starting point for a developer (is there a to do list etc?).

Unfortunately, I suppose I don't have sufficient programming skills for a task like this right now. But I am willing to learn and contribute back in the future if possible. Also, maybe it is easier to find skilled linux developers if it is more transparent what specific skills are needed and what exactly has to be done.

[geminiguy]

They know what needs to be done.. or at least have an idea... What they want to know is... what's in it for them?
This is not a bad thing... the skills required are exactly that...."skills" and noone likes to put countless hours into something without some form of compensation
You have to understand, once a developer gets involved with a project... it literally somewhat consumes their life and time... not by choice, but by habbit and love of the business
Such things can unintentionally pull one from family activities,etc. if involved enough and there needs to be something to show for it. Which is completely fair I think

I could not even tell you the amount of money Xara poured into this project already... but it's a lot

[geminiguy]

Not "all" inkscape devs contribute for free either... same goes for many Linux programs

[remi]

In order to understand the problems, see also the Xaralx progress thread from last year.

Remi

[remi]

btw: All the necessary documentation for interested Open Source developers is available at http://www.xaraxtreme.org/developers/ and the following pages. There is also a mailing list available.

Good luck
Remi

[starter83]

btw: All the necessary documentation for interested Open Source developers is available at http://www.xaraxtreme.org/developers/ and the following pages. There is also a mailing list available.

Good luck
Remi

Thanks for the link.

@"Go to the Source code & building page to download the Xara LX source code and to find out how to build the program on Linux and Mac."

Especially the "find out how to build the program on Linux and Mac" part could be better documented. For someone who is not an expert linux programmer like me I cannot find a good starting point to get a step into this project.

Referring to the link in your other post: Now I better understand the reasons that might stop developers from participating in the project. The closed source code aspect is really a problem. Without the CDraw rendering engine it is indeed very unrealistic the linux version could ever compete with the windows version performance-wise.

That are no good news for people who are thinking about moving from Windows to Linux.

Remi, viele Grüße nach Paderborn und dir einen schönen Abend!

[starter83]

They know what needs to be done.. or at least have an idea... What they want to know is... what's in it for them?

I believe that is true at least for some experienced (pro) developers. Of course it would be great to have some lead/senior developers who are experienced enough to lead the project. That even might be a precondition to get the further development running. So your initiative to attract these kinds of experienced developers even with financial incentives seems to be very important.

Moreover, I assume it would also be good to address a larger base of beginner and intermediate developers. These developers often need more guidance and stuff like beginner tutorials and how tos. These kind of developers might not be able to directly contribute in the short run. But they can help with documentation, try to write not so essential code like easier plugins first, learn and become better and finally help improving the code base.

I also see a great chance here: Many designers and people more skilled in HTML/CSS stuff are looking to get a step into programming. It might be a good move to invite these people to join the project and give them some guidance. This could also help to expand the user base.

Also, the project could be more interesting for better developers if more people are involved and there is a larger and more active user community.