DerelictBgfx not shipping core libs.

[Mike Parker via Digitalmars-d]

On Friday, 7 November 2014 at 14:33:09 UTC, Laeeth Isharc wrote:

>
> What I should so is volunteer to help, but at this moment I
> simply don't have the capacity (on the resource front I hope 
> that
> may change in time).  I would very much like to, though.

Gathering together multiple binaries for multiple platforms for 
every library to which Derelict binds and then keeping them up to 
date would be a fairly time-intensive effort unless it could be 
completely automated. Like I told the OP, in the 10 years I've 
been maintaining Derelict this hasn't been a source of complaint 
until now. Given how tiny the problem is in relation to the 
amount of effort required to solve it, I think there are better 
ways to use your time in helping D.

Besides, some of the bound libraries are commonly installed on 
many systems already and others make binaries available for 
multiple platforms. Only a few of them require compilation. The 
package that started this whole discussion is a bit of an anomaly 
right now in the Derelict universe, because it's implemented 
against a moving target rather than a stable release (simply 
because there are no stable releases of Bgfx). Perhaps the 
included examples contributed to the problem as well (no other 
Derelict package includes examples), which I can see giving an 
impression that DerelictBgfx is something more than it is. The 
README also fell out of sync with the other packages.

As I see it, the solution is to remove the examples from 
DerelictBgfx, enhance the READMEs in every package and finish the 
docs. As long as users have clear instructions in the docs that 
they need to obtain the binaries themselves, I don't believe more 
need be done. Of course, I can't make them read the docs, which 
btw is something they would still need to do if you or someone 
else hosted all those binaries, else they wouldn't know where to 
find them.

>
> There was some discussion previously by Andrei and Walter in
> another thread about how people could help.  Do you think it
> makes sense to have a link on front page of dlang saying "how 
> you
> can help dlang grow"  And then have a list of strategic 
> projects,
> and a list of tactical tasks.
>

Discussion along those lines has come up now and again. There may 
be something over at the Wiki. Personally, I'm happy to do my bit 
by keeping Derelict alive and in semi-decent health and writing 
an occasional blog post when the mood strikes. I'll leave ideas 
about how to manage dlang contributions to others.

That said, I would like to see someone at some point step up to 
serve as a sort of Community Manager (or Lieutenant as Andrei 
would say), someone who would keep a list of key areas where D 
and and its satellite projects need help, tracking progress and 
updating the list as necessary. Without someone actively 
overseeing such a list, it's just going to stagnate (especially 
if it's on the dlang front page, but also on the Wiki).