This document discusses interoperability between software forges and the problem of data lock-in. It proposes a standard for exchanging data between forges using existing native formats. The Coclico project has developed a toolbox that can export data like source code, documentation, and bug trackers from one forge and import it into another forge to address data lock-in issues. The document outlines work done on a prototype that exports and imports data from FusionForge and demonstrates the toolbox.

1. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Interoperability and data lock-in in forges
S´bastien Campion
e
INRIA
9th November, Fossa 2010, Grenoble
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

2. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Overview
1 Definitions and Uses
2 Interoperability, Coclico project
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

3. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Overview
1 Definitions and Uses
2 Interoperability, Coclico project
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

4. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
What kind of data ?
Source code (sources and dependencies)
Documentation (installation guide, manual)
Bug trackers
Lifecycle (Roadmap, TODO, requirements for enhancements)
People (community, authors, mailing lists, ...)
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

5. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
What usage ?
A example use case, a segfault or an error appears during the
first uses.
1 Search on google.com
2 Find an answer in the bug tracker
3 Apply the patch
All data other than source code are also fundamental in
a software developpement process
Academic practices and lifecycle
free software
launch a startup
transfer a software to a community, change forge hosting
old papers and experimentations need archiving process
Must be free and mobile
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

6. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
The data lock-in problem
What happens if :
your forge service is down, hosting unavailable ?
Google Code decides to change their policies ?
Oracle shuts down kenai.com ?
you want to change your forge ?
A shared problem, “Three Systemic Problems with Open-Source
Hosting Site” October 8th, 2009, Eric S. Raymond
http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=1282
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

7. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Coclico WP2 : Interoperability and data exchange
We establish a proposal for an interoperability standard for
exchange of data between software development forges.
Two steps :
1 Don’t reinvent the wheel, use native format from forge tools
svndump, mailman archives, ...
trackers : ForgePlucker (Google Code, Berlios, Trac, Savane,
Sourceforge, FusionForge)
2 Organise and federate
Toolbox and framework integration with semantic index
semantic web tools for automatic translation
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

8. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Work Done : First step
A small use case: export/import from FusionForge.
Lots of contributions to ForgePlucker to enable export of
trackers, people, permissions, news, forums, file release
systems
Patch FusionForge API to enable data import operations
Export process create an archive project.tar.gz
What have we learned ?
Forge APIs are not sufficient, how to backdate an artifact ?
Data is structured but without semantics.
Demo at the end
https://forge.projet-coclico.org/projects/wp2/
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

9. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
In progress, and future
In Progress
Refactoring and code cleaning
Pushing patch on the mainstream
Driving and integrating each data extraction process into a
single toolbox
Future
Choose an other Forge (Codendi, Trac, ...)
Promote idea and software to build and maintain community
Integrate and use web semantic tools to improve data
conversion process
Production use on INRIAGForge
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

10. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Demo : export/archive trackers, forums,
documents, files from INRIAGForge
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges

11. Definitions and Uses
Interoperability, Coclico project
Demo : import data in a new project
S´bastien Campion
e Interoperability and data lock-in in forges