I have some coding time which I’m using to bring DIASER to version 1 beta2, the pace of development has remained steady, the only way to work this one as errors take time to become apparent. This is a major milestone and hope to make the release available in rpm and deb package format. Interlinux Ltd have taken on a JISC development project for a synthesis programme, the work is designed to help support Open Source development in Higher Education. I have been sent a chunk of reading material from a small business advisor too; my task list is growing but not to the point of fear. Fortunately, before I left the University of Southampton on the 4th May 2010, preparations had been made for running a small business.
My wife and I are taking a holiday soon then I will attend the Open Source Watch Transfer Summit. This will be the perfect opportunity to share information, ideas and experience as well as an excellent networking opportunity, attending in my capacity as a freelance cloud engineer and developer. Other networking events July onwards include BCS Hampshire and of course the next Hampshire Linux Users Group meeting to be held at IBM Hursley. We, Interlinux Ltd partners, are now considering the options to step up the marketing of an ebook Interlinux Ltd self-published earlier this year in January; Walking With the Elephants – a short ebook designed give the reader deeper insight into a small scale, technical Open Source software development and collaboration. The ebook is not technical, pitched at the lay man as well as more experienced open source readers.
Talking of clouds, I recently signed up the Rack Space cloud service and am very impressed with the speed at which a pay-as-you-go virtual server could be created; from initial contact to setting up apache on CentOS happened in under an hour. Super. Cloud Files API Rack Space use for storage in context of DIASER is significant, this will be as well as the Amazon S3 API. These interfaces are planned for beta3. DSI Space Invaders is moving forward quickly, now at version 1 beta2 and available as an rpm or deb package and windows MSI installer. D.Jensen from the US has been providing some great patches; next in the pipeline is an options page, I’m working on the game action; bonus scores, another baddie as well as extra lives for reaching higher levels. Still have not beaten my high score of 9,980! DSI was blogged by Lee Schlesinger of SourceForge in April. Now back to the main priority of DIASER version 1 beta2 then some weekend time-out.
– Damian