Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!mcnc!ecsvax!emrozek From: emrozek@ecsvax.UUCP (Ed Mrozek) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.sources.d Subject: Re: Distributing Software Message-ID: <3041@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 4-May-87 23:57:49 EDT Article-I.D.: ecsvax.3041 Posted: Mon May 4 23:57:49 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 6-May-87 00:55:33 EDT References: <6396@ukma.ms.uky.csnet> <7993@utzoo.UUCP> Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 71 Summary: Do it right!!! Xref: mnetor comp.unix.wizards:2149 comp.sources.d:661 I do not remember seeing the original article. If I have missed something, please forgive and forget. Software distribution is a costly venture. As the summary says, do it right; or don't do it at all. ----------------------------------------- In article <7993@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes: > > ... "How to do software distributions"? > > Mark Weiser's reply to this one strikes me as a good starting point. Some > other thoughts: > > 1. Do not, repeat not, assume that making and sending distribution tapes is > a trivial chore that somebody can do in their spare moments. One practice > I particularly disrecommend is adding it to the responsibilities of your > most junior programmer. (Speaking as someone who was once such a M.J.P., > it's a time-consuming clerical chore that the M.J.P. will resent and perform ^^^^^^^^ It *is* a clerical chore! Nothing more and nothing less. Q/A is another issue. It is another responsibility for another type of person. > poorly, especially if he's already got a full workload.) Mark's scheme of > making it a *paid* piece-work (paid by the tape, not by the hour) job is > rather better. The investment of time and effort is not trivial. If distribution gets to be a large operation, there are devices that can be purchased to automate duplication. Here, we supply software and data on floppies to 160 field offices. When we got started, copies were made by a clerk and anyone she could find to help. Soon after that first release, we bought a disk duplication system. What took approximatley 8 man weeks was reduced to a one- or two-day affair. I suspect that the device will pay for itself in about two to three years. It may be sooner because we are now renting it out as a sevice. This appears to be paying the maintenance contract. By the time I am ready, I suspect I will have found (and purchased) a device for duplicating tapes. Also, along these same lines, there are commercial operations that will duplicate, package, etc. for a fee. In some situations, these services are reasonable alternatives. > > 2. In the same vein, plan to charge a fee to recover that time and effort. > Doing it free gets tiresome very quickly. I will be a little stronger on this. I don't believe that any academic department can afford to distribute free. Also, I think that most people are willing to pay reasonable duplication and distribution fees. If available, I would also pay for some support for installation and configuration. > > 3. Even if you license the stuff on a per-site basis, look *very* hard at > doing all distribution electronically. The AT&T Software Toolchest people > consider this a major win, and refuse to supply magtapes even though they > are a bit cheaper in some situations. Yes. However, you may limit yourself. (please ignore if I've missed something in previous discussion about this). > > 4. If you must use magtapes, invest money and effort in getting good tapes > and keeping your tape drive tuned up. Unreadable distributions are painful. > Supplying the tapes yourself is an order of magnitude less hassle than > trying to use tapes that customers send you. > -- I would change this to ten orders of magnitude less hassle. In fact, if you are serious about distributing software make sure that you supply the media and use a cost formula that will allow recovery. P.S. If someone does figure out how to do it right, please let me know.