Hello, As I previously wrote, working on a GUI solution is now one of my top priorities. We have discussed the problems and possible solutions for getting a good GUI interface for Bacula a number of times. I've thought about all the possibilities, and there are a lot of them. Previously, I had been leaning more towards a Python Qt interface, because Python is a nice language and easy to program. Unfortunately, I haven't found any really good IDE (integrated development environment) for it, nor have I found any good documentation on the Python Qt interface. So I have abandoned this idea.
Another idea that I have abandoned is developing a web application. There are two reasons: 1. I find no user interface design tools for web based applications. 2. web applications are very problematic for security minded people such as myself. I run a web server, but there is no way in the world that I would run a Bacula web application on my web server. In the past, I have gotten around this by having a second LAN only server, but I don't really like this. In addition with technology such as FreeNX, I believe that there is no disadvantage to writing desktop GUI applications -- they can now be executed from anywhere much like a web application can. One can certainly argue with the above points, but that is pretty much useless because what I am writing is not to convince you about my views but to give you a little bit of the reasoning behind the direction I am taking. So that is the brief background. There is obviously much more to it all, but I'd like to get to the point, which is that I am now starting a new core code project for Bacula to initially create a console GUI (combination of bconsole, gconsole, wx-console, and all the others). As a second step, it will evolve (or start a separate program) to including manangement job summary information such as bacula-web and similar programs. To do the project, I intend to use Kdevelop as the IDE, designer as the GUI design tool (integrated into Kdevelop), C++, and Qt3 (later Qt4). I would also like it to use cmake, but expect that in the beginning it will use qmake. All this is a bit too much for me at one time, because all the pieces (Kdevelop, designer, Qt3, qmake or cmake) are all new to me, so I really would like to get some help from any of you who are experienced in these tools or who just want to help. A few notes about the project: - as mentioned above, it will be based on C++ and Qt - it will use Kdevelop, designer and qmake or cmake - it will be part of the base Bacula code, and hence in the bacula source tree. - it will replace, gconsole and wx-console (i.e. they are depreciated) - it will be copyrighted by the Bacula project (for the moment me -- more on that in my status #2 concerning the future of the Bacula project). - it will serve as a test bed for defining a Bacula GUI API - it will be highly integrated with the Director, but nevertheless a separate program. - if I can get some help starting the project, I can imagine that we could get something quite functional with at least the capabilities of gconsole (and maybe wx-console) by the end of the year. If I have to do it alone, it will probably be mid-2007 before it becomes functional. Best regards, Kern ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV _______________________________________________ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
