Subject: Re: improvements to unmaintained software
To: None <mcmahill@mtl.mit.edu>
From: D'Arcy" "J.M. <darcy@druid.druid.net>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 09/30/1999 15:36:08
Thus spake mcmahill@mtl.mit.edu
> do we have any prefered method to make improvements to packages whose
> sources are unmaintained?  The package in question is cad/spice.  The
> authors (Berkeley) no longer develop the program.  However, there are
> improvements to the program available from  various sources.  For example,
> there is a patch to include GNU readline support (which is a really nice
> improvement).
> 
> I sort of hate to take a 3rd party program and then start adding patch
> after patch to evolve the program, but at the same time I hate to miss out
> on the improvements which are available.  Too bad someone hasn't made a
> NetSpice or something to organize further spice development!

Why not take it over yourself?  Set up a mailing list and collect fixes
and make distributions available from time to time.  Then you can create a
package for "NetSpice" and put it into the tree.

-- 
D'Arcy J.M. Cain <darcy@{druid|vex}.net>   |  Democracy is three wolves
http://www.druid.net/darcy/                |  and a sheep voting on
+1 416 425 1212     (DoD#0082)    (eNTP)   |  what's for dinner.