[Lazarus] Is Lazarus project in a downward spiral?

[Rigel Rig]

 I agree with Doug, Tom and Graeme. And I wait for a stable version of 5 years. Until then, do not be surprised why there are not many new programmers or users.

Regards,
Rigel

 >-------- Оригинално писмо --------
 >От:  Doug Chamberlin 
 >Относно: Re: [Lazarus] Is Lazarus project in a downward spiral?
 >До: Lazarus mailing list 
 >Изпратено на: Понеделник, 2010, Март 8 02:58:22 EET

 >
 >I agree with everything Tom has said. I hope everyone takes it to heart.
 >
 >I'm one of those who is lurking and waiting for a more stable project 
 >before jumping in and joining the team as a volunteer. I've tried both 
 >FPC and Lazarus and found them wanting for all the reasons that have 
 >already been mentioned. I have no immediate need to use them and 
 >therefore have the luxury of experimenting only but I would like to 
 >commit to using them full time. At the rate things are going I'll 
 >probably end up using Embarcadero's coming cross platform solution 
 >before using FPC/Lazarus. That would be a shame.
 >
 >A couple of further specific comments:
 >
 >I see a bunch of bugs reported and developers posting that those are 
 >fixed. But unless I wade in and install SVN and figure out how to use it 
 >to update my local source and figure out how to compile FPC and Lazarus 
 >I cannot make use of those bug fixes. So I'm stuck with the choice of 
 >installing a rather old stable version and living with the bugs it has 
 >(that I know have been "fixed") or waiting until a new stable version is 
 >packaged up. I choose to wait (again, because I have no compelling 
 >reason not to). But that, in turn, keeps me away from the project so 
 >that I cannot learn more about it and cannot help out because I'm 
 >forever "on the outside looking in".
 >
 >I have avoided CVS, and so far successfully avoided SVN, because I see 
 >them as rather old technology. In contrast, Git is an amazingly powerful 
 >and fresh look at the problem. I'd rather start out using Git. But when 
 >Git was proposed to the FPC/Laz projects it was rather soundly brushed 
 >aside. Another reason for me to stay on the sidelines.
 >
 >When 2.4.0 was released I thought, Ok, maybe I should start with that. 
 >So I went about installing and building and learning my way around. Then 
 >came to a crashing halt when I learned you could not build Lazarus using 
 >the 2.4.0 FPC. Huh? Made me wonder if these teams even talk to each 
 >other. Another reason to hold off diving in so I turned aside and got 
 >involved in other things.
 >
 >I've been to the web sites and looked for installation instructions and 
 >tutorial help but things are scattered and not easy to find. When this 
 >is mentioned on the mailing lists people respond with direct links to 
 >the items being sought. Yes, that is helpful, but the larger point seems 
 >to be missed. These web sites need to be improved specifically with an 
 >eye toward the new convert. There is some talk of doing that but it is 
 >rather piecemeal. I think a larger initiative is called for.
 >
 >I've read the testaments of those who have found FPC/Lazarus to be 
 >production ready. (In fact, those are the things that keep me 
 >interested!) But I get the impression that those testaments are being 
 >received by the core teams as evidence that all is well. If so, please 
 >re-read Tom's message and find some real answers to those questions 
 >because I think there are more people waiting for the big symbolic "1.0" 
 >than there are that have found a way to make the current code work for 
 >them. Reaching 1.0 is important not so much because a 1.0 release would 
 >contain major improvements to the code but more because it would mean 
 >the projects have matured organizationally. That is what I'd like to see.
 >
 >Doug C.
 >
 >
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