[Sugar-devel] [SERVER] [ANNOUNCE] Sugar Server Kit v1.0 initial release

[Aleksey Lim]

The original url to these notes is
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/1.0/Notes

This is an initial release of the project that was previously
anounced as "Sugar Server". Obviously, "Sugar Server Kit" sounds
more appropriate.

== Summary ==

This is the initial release of Sugar Server Kit project. It 
states the fact that basic ideas and core implementations are settled 
down. This release should not be treated as a release that is ready 
to use in the field, but see the #Looking forward|Looking forward 
section.

== Conception ==

Sugar Server Kit is not a final solution for school servers in 
the filed but rather a set of components that do its work on its own. 
They might be composed to the final solution basing on particular 
needs of deployments of distributors.

Read the following documents to know more:

* Architecture
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/Architecture
* Statement of purpose for releases
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/Release_plan

== Components ==

The components that were initiated at that time:

* sugar-server
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server
  The deamon that provides basic sugar related 
  services, like anti-thief support or Journal backup. 
* mace
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/Mace
  The mace is a tool to make final configuration using 
  source templates. Mace is supposed to help with configuration of 
  services on Server based school servers.
* sugar-server-templates
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server-templates
  This component contains configuration 
  templates of basic services that need to be installed and configured 
  on bare servers at school. It is possible to peek at some of these 
  services in a downstream solution to apply using the mace 
  utility. See the demoxo demonstration project for example.
* sugaroid
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/sugaroid
  It is a library and application that mimics regular 
  sugar client behaviour to help with testing Sugar Server Kit 
  components and Sugar Server Kit based solutions.
* prosody-sugar
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/Prosody
  Sugar specific plugins for [http://prosody.im/ 
  Prosody], lightweight Jabber/XMPP server.
* sugar-server-demoxo
  http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server-demoxo
  This is a demonstration of a Sugar 
  Server Kit based school server solution. It is intended to be run 
  on XO-1 laptops to demonstrate how a Sugar Server Kit based 
  downstream solution might look, but that's only Sugar Server 
  Kit/Architecture#Black_box_model|one of the possible ways it might 
  be applied.

== Getting the release ==

There are no source tarballs released since it is not production 
targeted release and it is not yet clear what deployment model will 
be eventually useful. For now there are only version tags in 
[http://git.sugarlabs.org/server git repositories].

In any case, the easiest way to try new project is setting up 
school server on a XO-1 laptop using demoxo. There is also instructions
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server-demoxo#Install_from_yum_repository
how to setup it in Fedora-14 environment on a XO-1. This 
[http://download.sugarlabs.org/packages/Server:/1/Fedora-14/ 
Fedora-14 binary repository] might be also used to install particular 
component for singular usage.

Binaries were built only for Fedora-14 distribution because current
usage is only Fedora-14. Sugar Server Kit is distribution agnostic
project and new distribution builds will be supported on purpose.

== Looking forward ==

The next minor, 1.1, release should:

* be the first release that will follow the releasing plan,
* have reliable set internal automatic tests of all Sugar Server 
  Kit components,
* reliable set of system integration automatic tests of Sugar 
  Server Kit components using sugar_Server_Kit/sugaroid|sugaroid 
  application,
* documented on development and deployment levels,
* have at least one production deployment.

== Credits ==

* David Farning for an initial push to have community level project 
  for school server.
* OLPC School server (XS) project that was used as a prototype for 
  sugar-server, mace and sugar-server-templates components.
* People from Nepalese, Paraguayan and Australian deployments for 
  sharing their experience.
* Especial thanks to [http://www.paraguayeduca.org/ Paraguay Educa] 
  for their interest and contribution to Sugar Server Kit project.