[wikka-community] Update on Wikka Software Appliance

[Derrick Devine]

Hey all,

Figured I'd give an update on the status of the wikka software appliance 
I'm creating here at rPath.  First, some background for those that don't 
know

http://www.rpath.com/corp/resources/What-is-a-Software-Appliance-Registration.html

So what I'm am doing is taking wikka and packaging it up via rBuilder 
Online here at rPath.  This will allow wikka to be released in the 
following formats:
http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/rBuilder:Build_Types

So, instead of just being something you can statically push onto a LAMP 
server or such, you will be able to actually have a LiveCD that demo's 
wikka.  You'll actually be able to fire up Xen and have wikka running 
there.  As you can see, this will be quite advantageous to wikka.

Now, why haven't we finished this yet?

There are 2 reasons.  First and foremost, 1.1.6.4 is nice and all but 
the major change coming for 1.1.7 is going to make anything I release 
currently (1.1.6.4) in appliance format to have a VERY difficult and 
VERY crappy upgrade path to 1.1.7.  Secondly, rPath Linux, the base of 
all appliances created with rBuilder Online, is just about ready to 
release rPath Linux 2.  This is a MAJOR change in how rPath does it's 
appliances as well...this will reduce the footprint of appliances by 
around 100-200MB in most instances.  It's also a bit of a difference in 
how we go about building them and will require me to 'redo' anything I 
do for 1.1.6.4

Now that you have this background, you can see that it will benefit both 
wikka AND myself to wait for 1.1.7 to come out before releasing any 
appliance.  rPath Linux 2 is set for release within the month (they just 
did a RC) and I'll be doing some test "builds" of 1.1.6.4 just to see 
how wikka reacts to the environment but I will not be releasing anything 
until 1.1.7 has been released.

If anyone has any questions about this process, why I chose to do what 
I'm doing, or anything else surrounding a wikka software appliance, 
please let me know.  The project page is here:
http://wikka.rpath.org (redirect to the rBuilder Project)

Thanks!

-- 
Derrick Devine, Technical Writer
phone: (919) 851-3984 x2151
fax: (919) 851.3985
rPath, Inc., The Software Appliance Company
701 Corporate Center Drive
Raleigh, NC 27607
www.rPath.com