Where the code lives: Git
The very latest code is in a Git repository on Github. Running development code from Git is not something to be taken lightly. The code is likely to be unstable or incomplete in some ways at many times. Don't expect it to always work. You should be at least somewhat familiar with using the command line, troubleshooting FoFiX issues, and managing a Python installation (though you do not need to actually know Python) if you decide to follow the Git repository.
Getting the code
The Python 2.6 instructions from the Google Code wiki (ignore the part about Subversion, of course, as we don't use Subversion anymore) will give you what you need to get the code running, though they will not give you the code itself. Here's how to get that:
The clone URL is: git://github.com/stump/fofix.git
Once you have Git installed, running:
Code: Select all
git clone git://github.com/stump/fofix.git
will download the code. When changes occur, running:
Code: Select all
git pull
will update to the latest committed revision.
There are many other things that you can do with FoFiX's Git repository, such as switch between branches of development or commit changes of your own to contribute. A good resource for learning some of the other things you can do is GitRef.org.
Following code changes
You can follow code changes even if you don't run from Git. If you want to know when new commits are pushed to the repository, I have set up a mailing list which you can subscribe to. Or you can use the feed that Github makes available.
Development chat: IRC
Most development discussion occurs on our IRC channel, #fofix on OFTC (irc.oftc.net). More information about the IRC channel is here. IRC is by far the best way to get in touch with the developers.
(I am personally most likely to be actively present between 20:00 and 01:00 UTC-4, though you can always try putting "stump" in your message so my IRC client gets my attention if I happen to be around.)
We don't kick for inactivity, so feel free also to just sit in the channel and see what's happening.
What needs to be done: The bugtracker
To request a modification or report a bug, use the issue tracker on Google Code. Try to search first so you don't duplicate existing bugs, though the available search engine isn't the best (you'd think Google could do better...), so we won't mind too much if we end up having to merge two issues together. But do not ever ask the developers when a specific issue will be addressed. We aren't paid to do this, and we are donating our spare time to the project, so don't make this feel like a full-blown job.
If you want to contribute, this would be a good place to look for things to do. Look especially for issues labeled "BiteSize" for something that is more suitable for someone just starting out contributing to the FoFiX project. Make sure you mention in the issue you choose that you are doing work on it so you prevent wasted work due to somebody else who might already have started working on the issue. We also suggest that you drop us a note in IRC about what you are doing and stay around to talk about it, but if you end up doing nothing more than pasting a patch into the issue, that's fine too.
What we're up to: Pivotal Tracker
I now do my planning on Pivotal Tracker. I will list and queue some of the things I want to do in the near future there and occasionally give myself a deadline on certain things. Dates that are visible on Pivotal Tracker are only estimates based on my estimates of how difficult individual tasks are and how quickly I have completed tasks in the past, so don't bother me if I go slower than Pivotal Tracker indicates I should be going (though I will do my very best to meet deadlines that I set there).
If you are curious about what is likely to be the next thing I will do, this is the place to go to see what I have planned. If activity occurs, your view will update in real time. But the ultimate authority is the bugtracker. Pivotal Tracker is not a bugtracker but merely a planning tool, so don't ask me to add things to it.