openAdmin
07-31-2009, 11:25 PM
CentOS is a community-supported operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (http://www.redhat.com/). Developers use Red Hat's source code to recreate Red Hat Enterprise Linux, removing or replacing any software that is not for free.
In an open letter written yesterday (http://www.centos.org/)to Lance Davis, CentOS founder, several programmers expressed displeasure about Lance’s inapproachability and the lack of transparency regarding project funds which is directly in contradiction to the philosophy epoused by the OSS culture . Dag Wieers, who works on the security, Web, and infrastructure aspects of CentOS, is concerned about money paid to the project through Google AdSense ads, Web site sponsorship, and users' donations through PayPal.
"For at least three years people were donating money and sponsors were paying for Web site ads while the money was not flowing into the project. Where it went to I can only guess," he said in a blog post. "Once the financial issues are resolved, there is a lot of work to turn the project into a real community project that can release even when one person is out of office, that is owned by a foundation, and that makes the best use of the power of its the community."
"The project depends on one person in too many ways...a person who doesn't answer calls, isn't available as meetings, doesn't publish things he promised to do," added Angenendt. "As Lance hasn't answered requests regarding that over the last few months, the remaining team now has put a stop on that. For the moment all ads have been removed from Web site and wiki, and we are not accepting any PayPal donations anymore."
The programmers have requested for immediate action to be taken to ensure the sustenance of the project.
The problems at CentOS are certainly testimonial to the vulnerabilities faced by many open source ventures. Due to the community dependant, organic nature of the OSS projects, strong commitment and support from the management is crucial to promote Ideology and mutual trust that glues these development groups .
Davis has not yet replied to the objections of the developers put forth in the blog posted at centos.org reproduced below:
This is an Open Letter to Lance Davis from fellow CentOS Developers
It is regrettable that we are forced to send this letter but we are left with no other options. For some time now we have been attempting to resolve these problems:
You seem to have crawled into a hole ... and this is not acceptable.
You have long promised a statement of CentOS project funds; to this date this has not appeared.
You hold sole control of the centos.org domain with no deputy; this is not proper.
You have, it seems, sole 'Founders' rights in the IRC channels with no deputy ; this is not proper.
When I (Russ) try to call the phone numbers for UK Linux, and for you individually, I get a telco intercept 'Lines are temporarily busy' for the last two weeks. Finally yesterday, a voicemail in your voice picked up, and I left a message urgently requesting a reply. Karanbir also reports calling and leaving messages without your reply.
Please do not kill CentOS through your fear of shared management of the project.
Clearly the project dies if all the developers walk away.
Please contact me, or any other signer of this letter at once, to arrange for the required information to keep the project alive at the 'centos.org' domain.
Sincerely,
Russ Herrold
Ralph Angenendt
Karanbir Singh
Jim Perrin
Donavan Nelson
Tim Verhoeven
Tru Huynh
Johnny Hughes
In an open letter written yesterday (http://www.centos.org/)to Lance Davis, CentOS founder, several programmers expressed displeasure about Lance’s inapproachability and the lack of transparency regarding project funds which is directly in contradiction to the philosophy epoused by the OSS culture . Dag Wieers, who works on the security, Web, and infrastructure aspects of CentOS, is concerned about money paid to the project through Google AdSense ads, Web site sponsorship, and users' donations through PayPal.
"For at least three years people were donating money and sponsors were paying for Web site ads while the money was not flowing into the project. Where it went to I can only guess," he said in a blog post. "Once the financial issues are resolved, there is a lot of work to turn the project into a real community project that can release even when one person is out of office, that is owned by a foundation, and that makes the best use of the power of its the community."
"The project depends on one person in too many ways...a person who doesn't answer calls, isn't available as meetings, doesn't publish things he promised to do," added Angenendt. "As Lance hasn't answered requests regarding that over the last few months, the remaining team now has put a stop on that. For the moment all ads have been removed from Web site and wiki, and we are not accepting any PayPal donations anymore."
The programmers have requested for immediate action to be taken to ensure the sustenance of the project.
The problems at CentOS are certainly testimonial to the vulnerabilities faced by many open source ventures. Due to the community dependant, organic nature of the OSS projects, strong commitment and support from the management is crucial to promote Ideology and mutual trust that glues these development groups .
Davis has not yet replied to the objections of the developers put forth in the blog posted at centos.org reproduced below:
This is an Open Letter to Lance Davis from fellow CentOS Developers
It is regrettable that we are forced to send this letter but we are left with no other options. For some time now we have been attempting to resolve these problems:
You seem to have crawled into a hole ... and this is not acceptable.
You have long promised a statement of CentOS project funds; to this date this has not appeared.
You hold sole control of the centos.org domain with no deputy; this is not proper.
You have, it seems, sole 'Founders' rights in the IRC channels with no deputy ; this is not proper.
When I (Russ) try to call the phone numbers for UK Linux, and for you individually, I get a telco intercept 'Lines are temporarily busy' for the last two weeks. Finally yesterday, a voicemail in your voice picked up, and I left a message urgently requesting a reply. Karanbir also reports calling and leaving messages without your reply.
Please do not kill CentOS through your fear of shared management of the project.
Clearly the project dies if all the developers walk away.
Please contact me, or any other signer of this letter at once, to arrange for the required information to keep the project alive at the 'centos.org' domain.
Sincerely,
Russ Herrold
Ralph Angenendt
Karanbir Singh
Jim Perrin
Donavan Nelson
Tim Verhoeven
Tru Huynh
Johnny Hughes