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From Raven to the Community:

Future Development Plans

Important Announcement Concerning RavenNuke™ Post v2.xx.xx Development

• It is our intention and direction to develop future versions of RavenNuke™ using PHP 5.x and MySQL 5.x in all RavenNuke™ versions post v2.xx.xx. We are not planning to retrofit the v2.xx.xx versions, meaning we are not intentionally rewriting all/any of the v2.xx.xx code. But we will be taking advantage of v5 features wherever it will enhance the amount of code being written and/or make the code more efficient.
• PHP ceased supporting their v4.x in December of 2007 (see PHP 4 end of life announcement [13-Jul-2007]) so if your host is not supporting PHP v5.x and MySQL v5.x then you need to press them to get current :). At the very least your host needs to offer dual versions and let you decide which one to use. For more information concerning migration from v4 to v5 see Migrating from PHP 4 to PHP 5.0.x
• We have tried to retain as much backward compatibility with prior versions of other *nuke derivatives and will continue to do so, but effective with RavenNuke™ post v2.30.00 releases we will be changing approaches/designs in some areas so backward compatibility in all areas will not be possible. This is not to say that your current blocks/modules/themes will not work. They will possibly/probably need some tweaking here and there. We will continue to include conversion detail for upgrading from prior versions of RavenNuke™ as well as other *nuke versions in our documentation just as we have always done.
• Eventually, as RavenNuke™ progresses there will be enough core structure/foundational changes to the code that what has been referred to as the "PHP-Nuke engine" will no longer be a viable/legal comparison. It will be replaced with the RN Engine (or whatever we might choose to call it). This will provide us more liberty in the development and licensing model should we decide/need to take advantage of these features. What is more important is that there will be noticeable changes and more freedom in footnotes or the lack thereof. All credits will, of course, remain, but they will not necessarily need to be posted in/on your public pages.
• All Documentation is in the process of being converted to a Wiki format.
• More information will be forthcoming as we finalize it.
• Last, but certainly not least, the RavenNuke™ Team have basically been working non-stop for several years now. We all need time to rest, re-energize, tend to our own sites and other responsibilities. We continue to work behind the scenes as well as on future releases.
• The RavenNuke™ Team
  September, 2009

Future Development Plans (continued)

Perfection!. Sound a bit lofty? Okay, I agree. Let's dispense with my Nirvana and get back in touch with reality.

RavenNuke™ started out as an extension to the public of what I use when I install sites. As I continued to add and to hone, and through various contacts and discussions with others, I saw even more of a need for a standard PHP-Nuke package that would be as ready to go, out of the box as possible, and as secure as my own site. I wanted to endeavor to keep as much of the core code as possible to aid in upgrades. That, of course, is one of the biggest challenges, as base PHP-Nuke has many challenges due mainly to the inadequacies of the core code and maintainer. So, some change is inevitable, but I don't believe that a full fledged "fork" is the way to go either - yet. That's not to say that a fork or even a brand new CMS is or would be bad. I'm just saying that I am intent on staying with what I believe was the last safe release and making it better, safer, and then adding in the most sought after add-ons and tweaks that are not the easiest to install, especially with adding patches, NukeSentinel™, etc. This could, however, lead into a Fork just through osmosis :)

So, with that as the background as to why I'm even here, let me throw out some Future Plans. These Future Plans are in no way ground in granite. This is a living document, if you will. It is prone to change due to changes in the community and observed needs.

General Operational Structure

• Development will continue as life and time allows.
• There is no set schedule for releases, but the desire is to provide an enhancement release every six to nine months.
• We are not expecting to release interim bug fixes every time a bug is found. Instead, we will have a forum or some other mechanism set up to make interim fixes available - this could change down the road.
• There may be a public Bug Tracker and/or CVS/SVN eventually.
• While I am leading this, I am working with others to integrate their scripts into the distribution. I am not trying to do this alone; it's too big. If I can easily drop it in, then I will. Otherwise, they will be working to get it integrated, if need be.
• There is no intention of setting up a bloated distro with every add-on known to man. Through surveys and focus groups, if you will, we will endeavor to pick the cream of the crop and establish a core based distro.
• Version numbering scheme: This is so non-standard and can be misleading. In many ways it is a necessary evil. I hope and expect to stay at v2.x.x for a while. Just adding functionality, add-ons, etc., should not, in my mind, require a major revision change. I went to 2.x from 1.x because it marked the beginning of add-ons to the core distribution. I would expect that when I release the next release with functionality it will be something like v2.1.0. Then if there is a bug release to that it will be v2.1.01/02/03, etc.

Questions and Answers

• Q. - What guarantee does the community have that this project won't just die on the vine like so many others?
  A. - None. Life happens, things change. But, at this very moment I and others have committed to it.
• Q.- Will it always be free, in terms of $$$?
  A. - Don't know. Probably; possibly; maybe - maybe not. The GPL does allow a reasonable "delivery" charge. Right here and now, as long as contributions continue to come in, I have no intention of charging or operating a "Club" of any kind. I do reserve the right to change this policy at any time.
• Q. - Can others redistribute this?
  A. - As stated in the License section, the GPL allows for redistribution. But, I would ask that you not do this. I would like to keep track of the downloads for a couple of main reasons. First and foremost, for support. If others take it and tweak and/or modify it, then support is much more difficult from our end as this is the only official support site. Secondly, by having the downloads centralized here I have a more accurate gauge as to how popular (or not) it is and that can determine future direction.
  Also, be aware that the Table Installer and this Documentation are NOT GPL. They do not require nuke to run so I can exclude them. If you do choose to redistribute RavenNuke™, you must not redistribute the Table Installer and Documentation.
• Q. - You have a script that you feel would make this a better distribution. How can you submit it?
  A. - For right now just drop me a PM and tell me about it.