getdeb-collaboration team mailing list archive

[João Luís Marques Pinto <joao.pinto@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,
I would like to see some comments on the following idea.

Thanks

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Proposal for a getdeb.net gaming repository (Playbuntu)
Date: 	Fri, 1 Aug 2008 13:48:08 -0400
From: 	Vadim Peretokin <vperetokin@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 	João Luís Marques Pinto <joao.pinto@xxxxxxxxxx>



Brainstorm Idea #73 <http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/73/>: "Ubuntu 
should provide a repository for up to date games for games that will 
always need the latest version to play online.", *1,512* votes. The most 
popular idea ever on Brainstorm ever has *5,709* votes.

Here's what I was thinking - starting project *Playbuntu*, that would be 
the "Medibuntu of gaming" - a repository with games that were updated 
since the Ubuntu version, and ones that didn't make it into Ubuntu yet.

*How would the project work? *
It would make most sense to make a repository of getdeb.net 
<http://getdeb.net>'s category #3 <http://getdeb.net/category.php?id=3>. 
Just that one, because games are special - having the latest version is 
very good, and sometimes essential (online games won't work if there's a 
client/server version mismatch even!).

After some initial discussion with João, I believe what would work 
really well is if a new website, and a name (Playbuntu) used created for 
this project. It would be sort of a "sub-project" of getdeb.net 
<http://getdeb.net> - but no separate team would be created for it, all 
of the developers who join Playbuntu would contribute to getdeb.net 
<http://getdeb.net>.  The project itself would be 'marketed' as being 
'powered by' getdeb.net <http://getdeb.net> also, to lead back people 
who find it first to getdeb.net <http://getdeb.net> also. And it would 
be easier to market Playbuntu as designed specifically for gaming (in 
news publications and other places).

*The hardware things*
It's understandable that getdeb.net <http://getdeb.net> is already under 
size / bandwidth limitations, but for the purposes if the idea itself, 
they shouldn't be taken into account. We'll look for mirrors / buy 
hosting before the product launch to make sure we have enough - and I'm 
sure we'll be able to get many for this.

In regards to how I believe it should work - multiple mirrors should be 
available to be used, so people can even help out with their own 
servers. I've asked how does medibuntu do their repository - they said 
they use round robin dns.

*Why is it needed now?*
It was always needed and requested. While most people can be content 
with usual applications being outdated, games are something where 
updates really, really matter. However, a real big push for this was 
that Automatix was resurrected recently as Ultamatix, and guess what? 
It's the same sloppy coding <http://www.geekosophical.net/?p=186>. It 
only promoted codecs (covered by medibuntu already) and games. Games is 
something that should be capitalized on, and, for the sake of users and 
ubuntu, done properly - which is something that getdeb.net 
<http://getdeb.net> is doing great. A repository for this would really 
help things out and push it ahead of Ultamatix.

So, what does the getdeb.net <http://getdeb.net> think of the idea? A 
repository for category #3, for keeping your games on Ubuntu easily 
up-to-date.

--
João Luís Marques Pinto
GetDeb Project Manager
http://www.getdeb.net
http://blog.getdeb.net