Yes, I’ve got a hat
After quite a few years where it laid dormant despite the best efforts of various contributers to make me get off my butt and start working on the next release, I've finally decided to make another run at updating Mastodon to the next release.
Do I have the infrastructure up and running?
No, I do not; the old build machine is lying on the basement floor serving as a spider hotel even as we speak.
Do I have an architecture yet?
No.
Do I have a development plan?
Nope.
How about a version control system?
Uh, uh.
Have I made *any* preparations?
Well, yes, I've got a hat.
A hat?
Yes, a hat. A Linux distribution hat. A hat with "mastodon.biz" on it. I got it at GoDaddy. And it lights up saying "mastodon.biz" in great big neon letters, so you can maintain the distribution after dark when it's less stroppy.
I see, I see.
It's true. The domain name is the very first thing I've set up for the new development effort. The only other stuff I've got for it is various ideas that are running around in my head:
- It's going to use Postoffice as the MTA, of course.
- I'll probably use Levee as the vi de jour (nvi is fine, but bloated. The real vi [Gunnar Ritter version] is, of course, perfect, but it's fairly large and I didn't write it. Vim has syntax highlighting, and is thus the work of the devil. So that makes Levee the perfect choice.)
- I'm going to continue my quest of deGNUifying the system programs (tcc claims to be able to compile modern Linux kernels, and the thought of tossing gcc out the window is very appealing.)
- The 2.6 kernel (the only way I can support modern devices.)
- Some bleeding-edge library. Either gl*bc or one of the dietlibcs.
- I may have to give up a.out support, because having to write a new version of the 4.8 series libc that supports all of the ansiisms and other evil crud that's worked its way into the modern so-called "standards" will easily evaporate all of my spare time for the rest of my life.
- Firefox or one of the other cycle-eating web browsers that Linux is saddled with.
- And I guess I'll have to have a X11 that's more recent that version 3.3.6.
I'll probably stuff a wiki into mastodon.biz so people can pester me for stuff that makes the code useful to people who don't live in Chateau Chaos. But as for right now I've got a hat, and that should be enough.