RACE

COMA

A while ago while I was still studying, I was employed at the computing center of the Esslingen University Of Applied Sciences as the administrator for Linux in the pools (and of course on a server). As a method to distribute software and configuration to the computers, I wrote a set of scripts and C-programs which operated on flat text files called COMA ("Computer Organization and Management", a heavy name for a rather kludgy piece of software). This let me put the individual computers in one or more groups (e.g. "Matrox video card with PS/2 mouse"), software and configuration was then "bound" to one of those groups.

I always wanted to do this the "right way", but didn't have the time to do it (besides my studies and the admin job) -- it was rather sad to have heaps of ideas but not being able to put them into practice.

RACE -- the diploma thesis

At the end of my studies, I had to do choose some subject for my thesis. As I didn't want do just do "something [boring] with Java" (as it was common that time in the faculty), I thought I could just as well do what I always wanted, but never had the time for. Thanks to Prof. Melcher for letting me do it!

Sadly I didn't get around to finish the thing completely, so here we are with a well designed library (I'm biased on this point), but few code using it. From the beginning I decided to publish it as free software later -- and here is where you come into the game:

Grab the code
Eventually discuss it on the mailing list
Modify and enhance the code
Pass back your enhancements

This may sound like "the guy's fed up with it and wants others to do the work", but I want to say that after doing the thesis for approximately half a year I got some kind of a tunnel view and need input from "unencumbered" people. Of course I will continue developing it, but there's only so much time in a day (and brain in a head for that matter)...