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1 | \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 | @c %**start of header | |
3 | @setfilename tasks.info | |
4 | @settitle GNU Task List | |
fff05d88 | 5 | @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file: |
0848ab8f | 6 | @set lastupdate November 1, 1999 |
bb5d4e1a RS |
7 | @c %**end of header |
8 | ||
9 | @setchapternewpage off | |
10 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
11 | @titlepage |
12 | @title GNU Task List | |
d6eb79ad | 13 | @author Free Software Foundation |
bb5d4e1a | 14 | @author last updated @value{lastupdate} |
bb5d4e1a RS |
15 | @end titlepage |
16 | ||
17 | @ifinfo | |
55616d18 | 18 | @node Top, Intro, (dir), (dir) |
d9e60f52 | 19 | @top GNU Task List |
bb5d4e1a | 20 | |
d6eb79ad | 21 | This file is updated automatically from @file{tasks.texi}, which was |
0848ab8f BY |
22 | last updated on @value{lastupdate}. See also |
23 | @uref{http://www.gnu.org/help/help.html#helpgnu} for other suggested | |
24 | tasks. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
25 | @end ifinfo |
26 | ||
bb5d4e1a | 27 | @menu |
6af1f598 JWI |
28 | * Intro:: |
29 | * Highest Priority:: | |
30 | * Documentation:: | |
31 | * Unix-Related Projects:: | |
32 | * Kernel Projects:: | |
33 | * Extensions:: | |
34 | * X Windows Projects:: | |
35 | * Network Projects:: | |
36 | * Encryption Projects:: | |
37 | * Other Projects:: | |
38 | * Languages:: | |
39 | * Games and Recreations:: | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
40 | @end menu |
41 | ||
6af1f598 | 42 | @node Intro, Highest Priority, Top, Top |
c05524ad RS |
43 | @chapter About the GNU Task List |
44 | ||
7c4978a8 | 45 | If you did not obtain this file directly from the GNU project and |
9459fac1 JG |
46 | recently, please check for a newer version. You can ftp the task list |
47 | from any GNU FTP host in directory @file{/pub/gnu/tasks/}. The task | |
7c4978a8 | 48 | list is available there in several different formats: @file{tasks.text}, |
541d49e1 JG |
49 | @file{tasks.texi}, @file{tasks.info}, and @file{tasks.dvi}. The GNU |
50 | HURD task list is also there in file @file{tasks.hurd}. | |
51 | @c to fix an overfill, join the paragraphs -len | |
7c4978a8 | 52 | The task list is also available on the GNU World Wide Web server: |
fff05d88 | 53 | @uref{http://www.gnu.org/prep/tasks_toc.html}. |
c05524ad | 54 | |
fff05d88 | 55 | If you start working steadily on a project, please let @email{gvc@@gnu.org} |
d9e60f52 DM |
56 | know. We might have information that could help you; we'd also like to |
57 | send you the GNU coding standards. | |
bb5d4e1a | 58 | |
c05524ad RS |
59 | Because of the natural tendency for most volunteers to write programming |
60 | tools or programming languages, we have a comparative shortage of | |
61 | applications useful for non-programmer users. Therefore, we ask you to | |
62 | consider writing such a program. | |
bb5d4e1a | 63 | |
d17fd035 RS |
64 | Typically, a new program that does a completely new job advances |
65 | the GNU project, and the free software community, more than an | |
66 | improvement to an existing program. | |
67 | ||
68 | Typically, new features or new programs advance the free software | |
69 | community more, in the long run, than porting existing programs. One | |
70 | reason is that portable new features and programs benefit people on many | |
71 | platforms, not just one. At the same time, there tend to be many | |
72 | volunteers for porting---so your help will be more valuable in other | |
73 | areas, where volunteers are more scarce. | |
74 | ||
75 | Typically, it is more useful to extend a program in functionality than | |
76 | to improve performance. Users who use the new functionality will | |
77 | appreciate it very much, if they use it; but even when they benefit from | |
78 | a performance improvement, they may not consider it very important. | |
bb5d4e1a | 79 | |
6af1f598 | 80 | @node Highest Priority, Documentation, Intro, Top |
7c4978a8 RS |
81 | @chapter Highest Priority |
82 | ||
83 | This task list mentions a large number of tasks that would be more or | |
84 | less useful. With luck, at least one of them will inspire you to start | |
85 | writing. It's better for you to work on any task that inspires you than | |
86 | not write free software at all. | |
87 | ||
88 | But if you would like to work on what we need most, here is a list of | |
89 | high priority projects. | |
90 | ||
91 | @itemize @bullet | |
92 | @item | |
632c6364 | 93 | If you are good at writing documentation, please do that. |
7c4978a8 RS |
94 | |
95 | @item | |
96 | If you are very good at C programming and interested in kernels, you can | |
541d49e1 | 97 | help develop the GNU HURD, the kernel for the GNU system. Please have a |
fff05d88 | 98 | look at @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd.html}, and |
541d49e1 JG |
99 | then get a copy of the latest HURD task list from: |
100 | ||
101 | @itemize @bullet | |
102 | ||
103 | @item | |
fff05d88 | 104 | @uref{http://www.gnu.org/prep/tasks.hurd.html}, via the World Wide |
541d49e1 JG |
105 | Web. |
106 | ||
107 | @item | |
fff05d88 | 108 | @uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/tasks/tasks.hurd}, via anonymous FTP. |
541d49e1 JG |
109 | |
110 | @item | |
fff05d88 | 111 | @email{gnu@@gnu.org} via e-mail. |
541d49e1 JG |
112 | |
113 | @end itemize | |
7c4978a8 RS |
114 | |
115 | @item | |
541d49e1 | 116 | If you are a Scheme fan, you can help develop Guile. Please have a look |
fff05d88 RS |
117 | at the URL @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/guile.html} |
118 | and then contact the Guile developers at @email{guile@@gnu.org}. | |
7c4978a8 | 119 | |
9dde84c6 RS |
120 | @item |
121 | A package to convert programs written using MS Access into Scheme, | |
122 | making use of a free data base system and the GTK toolkit. | |
123 | ||
acb0ff5c | 124 | @ignore |
7c4978a8 | 125 | @item |
0f82d9d8 | 126 | Help develop XmHTML. See @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~ripley/XmHTML/}. |
acb0ff5c | 127 | @end ignore |
7c4978a8 RS |
128 | |
129 | @item | |
fff05d88 RS |
130 | Help develop software to emulate Windows NT on top of GNU systems. |
131 | For example, you could help work on Willows Twin. | |
0f82d9d8 | 132 | See @uref{http://www.willows.com/}. |
7c4978a8 | 133 | |
f00afe93 RS |
134 | @ignore The Kermit developers say they will provide a free program |
135 | to do this. | |
7c4978a8 RS |
136 | @item |
137 | Implement the Kermit data transfer protocol. (See below.) | |
f00afe93 | 138 | @end ignore |
7c4978a8 | 139 | |
fff05d88 | 140 | @ignore This is being done (Harmony) |
7c4978a8 | 141 | @item |
632c6364 RS |
142 | Develop a free compatible replacement for Qt, a GUI toolkit library. Qt |
143 | is not free software, because users are prohibited from distributing | |
144 | modified versions. Thus, Qt cannot be included in a free operating | |
145 | system (adding it would make the system as a whole non-free). | |
146 | ||
147 | But some developers are writing free applications that use Qt and cannot | |
148 | run without it. These programs, although free software, are useless for | |
149 | free operating systems because there is no way to make them run. | |
150 | ||
151 | This is leading to a serious problem, and a free replacement for Qt is | |
152 | the only solution. Hence the high degree of urgency of this project. | |
fff05d88 RS |
153 | @end ignore |
154 | ||
7c4978a8 RS |
155 | @item |
156 | Develop a substitute, which runs on GNU systems, for some very popular | |
157 | or very important application that many non-programmers use on Windows, | |
158 | and which has no comparable free equivalent now. | |
159 | @end itemize | |
160 | ||
6af1f598 | 161 | @node Documentation, Unix-Related Projects, Highest Priority, Top |
bb5d4e1a RS |
162 | @chapter Documentation |
163 | ||
fff05d88 RS |
164 | We very urgently need documentation for many existing parts of the |
165 | system. | |
166 | ||
167 | Note that there are proprietary manuals for many of these topics, but | |
0f82d9d8 RS |
168 | proprietary manuals do not count, for the same reason proprietary |
169 | software does not count: we are not free to copy and modify them. | |
170 | We do not recommend any non-free materials as documentation. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
171 | |
172 | @itemize @bullet | |
242621f3 | 173 | @item |
24fad2a2 | 174 | A manual for libstdc++. |
242621f3 | 175 | |
0f82d9d8 RS |
176 | @item |
177 | A unified manual for La@TeX{}. (Existing documentation is non-free.) | |
178 | ||
179 | @item | |
f1679dc8 | 180 | A manual for Docbook SGML format. |
0f82d9d8 RS |
181 | |
182 | @item | |
f1679dc8 | 183 | A tutorial introduction to Midnight Commander. |
0f82d9d8 RS |
184 | |
185 | @item | |
186 | A thorough manual for RCS. | |
187 | ||
188 | @item | |
189 | A reference manual for Mach. | |
190 | ||
191 | @item | |
192 | A reference manual for the GNU Hurd features in GNU libc. | |
193 | ||
194 | @item | |
195 | A manual for writing Hurd servers. | |
196 | ||
acb0ff5c BY |
197 | @item |
198 | A manual for GNU sed. | |
199 | ||
fff05d88 | 200 | @item |
0f82d9d8 RS |
201 | Reference manuals for C++, Objective C, Pascal, Fortran 77, and Java. |
202 | ||
203 | @item | |
204 | A tutorial manual for the C++ STL (standard template library). | |
205 | ||
3c307b90 | 206 | @item |
1eb87eaf | 207 | A tutorial manual for Gforth. |
3c307b90 | 208 | |
0f82d9d8 RS |
209 | @item |
210 | GNU Objective-C Runtime Library Manual; this would be a reference manual | |
211 | for the runtime library functions, structures, and classes. Some work | |
212 | has been done on this job. | |
213 | ||
214 | @item | |
215 | Manuals for GNUstep: developer tutorial, developer programming manual, | |
216 | developer reference manual, and user manual. | |
fff05d88 | 217 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
218 | @item |
219 | A manual for Ghostscript. | |
c05524ad | 220 | |
c05524ad RS |
221 | @item |
222 | A manual for TCSH. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
223 | |
224 | @item | |
dc32c4fa RS |
225 | A coherent free reference manual for Perl. Most of the Perl on-line |
226 | reference documentation can be used as a starting point, but work is | |
227 | needed to weld them together into a coherent manual. | |
bb5d4e1a | 228 | |
bb5d4e1a | 229 | @item |
fff05d88 RS |
230 | A good free Perl language tutorial introduction. The existing Perl |
231 | introductions are published with restrictions on copying and | |
232 | modification, so that they cannot be part of a GNU system. | |
233 | ||
234 | @item | |
235 | A manual for PIC (the graphics formatting language). | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
236 | |
237 | @item | |
238 | A book on how GCC works and why various machine descriptions | |
239 | are written as they are. | |
240 | ||
241 | @item | |
0f82d9d8 | 242 | A manual for programming applications for X11. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
243 | |
244 | @item | |
245 | Manuals for various X window managers. | |
246 | ||
247 | @item | |
261597d4 | 248 | Reference cards for those manuals that don't have them: C |
c05524ad | 249 | Compiler, Make, Texinfo, Termcap, and maybe the C Library. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
250 | |
251 | @item | |
261597d4 | 252 | Many utilities need documentation, including @code{grep} and others. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
253 | @end itemize |
254 | ||
6af1f598 | 255 | @node Unix-Related Projects, Kernel Projects, Documentation, Top |
d9e60f52 | 256 | @chapter Unix-Related Projects |
bb5d4e1a | 257 | |
d9e60f52 | 258 | @itemize @bullet |
5aba97f2 | 259 | @ignore |
bb5d4e1a RS |
260 | @item |
261 | Modify the GNU @code{dc} program to use the math routines of GNU | |
262 | @code{bc}. | |
5aba97f2 | 263 | @end ignore |
bb5d4e1a | 264 | |
bb5d4e1a | 265 | @item |
fff05d88 RS |
266 | Less urgent: make a replacement for the ``writer's workbench'' program |
267 | @code{style}, or something to do the same kind of job. Compatibility | |
f5c525cd | 268 | with Unix is not especially important for this program. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
269 | @end itemize |
270 | ||
6af1f598 | 271 | @node Kernel Projects, Extensions, Unix-Related Projects, Top |
d9e60f52 | 272 | @chapter Kernel-Related Projects |
bb5d4e1a | 273 | |
d9e60f52 | 274 | @itemize @bullet |
bb5d4e1a | 275 | @item |
5aba97f2 | 276 | An over-the-ethernet debugger stub that will allow the kernel to be |
bb5d4e1a RS |
277 | debugged from GDB running on another machine. |
278 | ||
5aba97f2 RS |
279 | This stub needs its own self-contained implementation of all protocols |
280 | to be used, since the GNU system will use user processes to implement | |
281 | all but the lowest levels, and the stub won't be able to use those | |
282 | processes. If a simple self-contained implementation of IP and TCP is | |
283 | impractical, it might be necessary to design a new, simple protocol | |
284 | based directly on ethernet. It's not crucial to support high speed or | |
285 | communicating across gateways. | |
286 | ||
287 | It might be possible to use the Mach ethernet driver code, but it would | |
288 | need some changes. | |
289 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
290 | @item |
291 | A shared memory X11 server to run under MACH is very desirable. The | |
292 | machine specific parts should be kept well separated. | |
c05524ad RS |
293 | |
294 | @item | |
295 | An implementation of CIFS, the ``Common Internet File System,'' for the | |
296 | HURD. This protocol is an offshoot of SMB. | |
c6d6677e RS |
297 | |
298 | @item | |
299 | Support (in Linux?) for dumping the non-textual contents of an SVGA | |
300 | console. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
301 | @end itemize |
302 | ||
6af1f598 | 303 | @node Extensions, X Windows Projects, Kernel Projects, Top |
d9e60f52 | 304 | @chapter Extensions to Existing GNU Software |
bb5d4e1a | 305 | |
d9e60f52 | 306 | @itemize @bullet |
bb5d4e1a | 307 | @item |
d9e60f52 DM |
308 | Enhance GCC. See files @file{PROJECTS} and @file{PROBLEMS} in the GCC |
309 | distribution. | |
bb5d4e1a | 310 | |
a81ed99e RS |
311 | @item |
312 | Interface GDB to Guile, so that users can write debugging commands in | |
313 | Scheme. This would also make it possible to write, in Scheme, a | |
fff05d88 RS |
314 | graphical interface that uses GTK and is tightly integrated into GDB. |
315 | ||
316 | @item | |
317 | Extend Octave to support programs that were written | |
318 | to run on Khoros. | |
a81ed99e | 319 | |
2eebaacd | 320 | @item |
d71de6f9 JWI |
321 | Rewrite Automake in Scheme, so it can run in Guile. Right now it is |
322 | written in Perl. There are also other programs, not terribly long, | |
323 | which we would also like to have rewritten in Scheme. | |
fff05d88 | 324 | |
b6a061a8 RS |
325 | @item |
326 | Finish the partially-implemented C interpreter project. | |
2eebaacd RS |
327 | |
328 | @item | |
fff05d88 | 329 | Help with the development of GNUstep, a GNU implementation of the |
2eebaacd RS |
330 | OpenStep specification. |
331 | ||
5aba97f2 RS |
332 | @item |
333 | Add features to GNU Make to record the precise rule with which each file | |
334 | was last recompiled; then recompile any file if its rule in the makefile | |
335 | has changed. | |
336 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
337 | @item |
338 | Add a few features to GNU @code{diff}, such as handling large input | |
339 | files without reading entire files into core. | |
340 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
341 | @item |
342 | An @code{nroff} macro package to simplify @code{texi2roff}. | |
343 | ||
344 | @item | |
345 | A queueing system for the mailer Smail that groups pending work by | |
346 | destination rather than by original message. This makes it possible | |
347 | to schedule retries coherently for each destination. Talk to | |
fff05d88 | 348 | @email{tron@@veritas.com} about this. |
bb5d4e1a | 349 | |
5aba97f2 | 350 | Smail also needs a new chief maintainer. |
bb5d4e1a | 351 | |
5aba97f2 RS |
352 | @item |
353 | Enhanced cross-reference browsing tools. (We now have something at | |
354 | about the level of @code{cxref}.) We also could use something like | |
355 | @code{ctrace}. (Some people are now working on this project.) | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
356 | @end itemize |
357 | ||
6af1f598 | 358 | @node X Windows Projects, Network Projects, Extensions, Top |
d9e60f52 | 359 | @chapter X Windows Projects |
bb5d4e1a | 360 | |
d9e60f52 | 361 | @itemize @bullet |
bb5d4e1a RS |
362 | @item |
363 | An emulator for Macintosh graphics calls on top of X Windows. | |
364 | ||
0f82d9d8 RS |
365 | @item |
366 | A package that emulates the API of Visual C++, but operates on top of | |
367 | X11. It need not match the screen appearance of Visual C++. Instead, | |
368 | it would be best to use GTK, so as to give coherence with GNOME. | |
369 | ||
370 | @item | |
371 | A compatible replacement for Visual Basic, running on top of X11. | |
372 | It need not match the screen appearance of Visual C++. Instead, | |
373 | it would be best to use GTK, so as to give coherence with GNOME. | |
374 | ||
bb5d4e1a | 375 | @item |
ca0afed9 | 376 | A music playing and editing system. This should work with LilyPond, a |
fff05d88 RS |
377 | GNU program for music typesetting. |
378 | ||
0f82d9d8 RS |
379 | @item |
380 | An ear-training program for students of music. | |
381 | ||
acb0ff5c | 382 | @ignore @c GNUskies should do this |
fff05d88 RS |
383 | @item |
384 | An ephemeris program to replace xephem (which is, alas, too restricted | |
385 | to qualify as free software). | |
acb0ff5c | 386 | @end ignore |
7263f2f7 | 387 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
388 | @item |
389 | A program to edit dance notation (such as labanotation) and display | |
390 | dancers moving on the screen. | |
391 | ||
b10fca68 | 392 | @item |
fff05d88 | 393 | Make sure the Vibrant toolkit works with LessTif instead of Motif. |
b10fca68 | 394 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
395 | @item |
396 | A program to display and edit Hypercard stacks. | |
397 | ||
acb0ff5c BY |
398 | @item |
399 | A two-dimensional outliner program, which lets you draw | |
400 | graph structures of textual items, and then display them | |
401 | in various ways. | |
402 | ||
c05524ad RS |
403 | @item |
404 | A program for graphic morphing of scanned photographs. | |
0f82d9d8 RS |
405 | |
406 | @item | |
407 | Software for designing and printing business cards. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
408 | @end itemize |
409 | ||
6af1f598 | 410 | @node Network Projects, Encryption Projects, X Windows Projects, Top |
ab9ca9c7 JWI |
411 | @chapter Network Projects |
412 | ||
413 | @itemize @bullet | |
3b72e81d JE |
414 | @ignore |
415 | @c www.openh323.org is doing this. Craig Southeren <craigs@equival.com.au> | |
ab9ca9c7 JWI |
416 | @item |
417 | A teleconferencing program which does the job of CU-SeeMe (which is, | |
418 | alas, not free software). | |
3b72e81d | 419 | @end ignore |
ab9ca9c7 | 420 | |
2f845c34 KH |
421 | @ignore |
422 | @c Bishop Bettini <bishop@synxcti.com> is working on this. | |
ab9ca9c7 JWI |
423 | @item |
424 | A free ICQ-compatible server program. (The ICQ server itself is not | |
425 | free software.) | |
2f845c34 KH |
426 | @end ignore |
427 | ||
ab9ca9c7 JWI |
428 | @end itemize |
429 | ||
6af1f598 | 430 | @node Encryption Projects, Other Projects, Network Projects, Top |
ca0afed9 | 431 | @chapter Encryption Projects |
bb5d4e1a | 432 | |
ca0afed9 RS |
433 | These projects need to be written outside the US by people who are not |
434 | US citizens, to avoid problems with US export control law. | |
bb5d4e1a | 435 | |
d9e60f52 | 436 | @itemize @bullet |
c05524ad | 437 | @item |
ca0afed9 | 438 | A free library for public-key encryption. |
c05524ad | 439 | |
ca0afed9 | 440 | This library should use the Diffie-Helman algorithm for public key |
c05524ad | 441 | encryption, not the RSA algorithm, because the Diffie-Helman patent in |
fff05d88 RS |
442 | the US expired in 1997. This library can probably be developed from |
443 | the code for the GNU Privacy Guard (now in development). | |
7263f2f7 | 444 | |
dc32c4fa RS |
445 | @item |
446 | An implementation of SSLv3 (more precisely, TLSv1) which is patent-free | |
447 | (uses the non-RSA algorithms) and has distribution terms compatible with | |
448 | the GNU GPL. We know of a GPL-covered implemention of a version of SSL | |
449 | that you can use as a starting point. | |
450 | ||
bb5d4e1a | 451 | @item |
eee331a5 RS |
452 | Free software for doing secure commercial transactions on the web. |
453 | This too needs public key encryption. | |
ca0afed9 RS |
454 | @end itemize |
455 | ||
dc32c4fa RS |
456 | The projects to provide free replacements for PGP and SSH are no longer |
457 | listed here, because projects to do those jobs are well under way. | |
fff05d88 | 458 | |
6af1f598 | 459 | @node Other Projects, Languages, Encryption Projects, Top |
ca0afed9 | 460 | @chapter Other Projects |
bb5d4e1a | 461 | |
ca0afed9 | 462 | If you think of others that should be added, please |
fff05d88 | 463 | send them to @email{gnu@@gnu.org}. |
ca0afed9 RS |
464 | |
465 | @itemize @bullet | |
c6d6677e | 466 | @ignore OpenBIOS is doing this |
fff05d88 RS |
467 | @item |
468 | A simple PC BIOS. On most new PCs, the BIOS is stored in writable | |
469 | memory (misleadingly known as ``flash ROM''). In order to have a wholly | |
470 | free system on these PCs, we need a free BIOS. | |
471 | ||
472 | This task is made simpler by the fact that this BIOS need only support | |
473 | enough features to enable a boot-loader such as LILO or GRUB to finish | |
474 | loading the kernel. Neither Linux nor Mach actually uses the BIOS once | |
475 | it starts up. Also, it is not absolutely necessary to do all the many | |
476 | diagnostics that an ordinary BIOS does (though it would be useful to do | |
477 | some of them). However, there may be a need to configure certain data | |
478 | in the computer in a way that is specific to each model of computer. | |
c6d6677e | 479 | @end ignore |
fff05d88 | 480 | |
8d6ebf2e | 481 | @ignore Frank Cruz promises a free version |
a47e454e | 482 | @item |
7c4978a8 RS |
483 | A free program that can transfer files on a serial line |
484 | using the same protocol that Kermit uses. | |
8d6ebf2e | 485 | @end ignore |
a47e454e | 486 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
487 | @item |
488 | An imitation of Page Maker or Ventura Publisher. | |
489 | ||
490 | @item | |
f5c525cd KH |
491 | An imitation of @code{dbase2} or @code{dbase3}. (How dbased!) |
492 | @uref{http://www.startech.keller.tx.us/xbase/xbase.html} may contain | |
493 | some useful stuff to start with. | |
bb5d4e1a | 494 | |
acb0ff5c | 495 | @ignore @c being done by Jonas etc. |
bb5d4e1a | 496 | @item |
c05524ad RS |
497 | A general ledger program, including support for accounts payable, |
498 | account receivables, payroll, inventory control, order processing, etc. | |
acb0ff5c | 499 | @end ignore |
c05524ad | 500 | |
bb5d4e1a | 501 | @item |
fff05d88 RS |
502 | A free replacement for Glimpse, which is not free software. |
503 | ||
0f82d9d8 RS |
504 | @item |
505 | Software for desktop publishing. We are extending Emacs into a WYSIWYG | |
506 | word processor, to handle primarily linear text; what this item proposes | |
507 | is software focused on page layout. | |
508 | ||
283fd8a7 | 509 | @ignore It looks like TruePrint will fill this gap |
fff05d88 RS |
510 | @item |
511 | A program to typeset C code for printing, to make it easier to read on | |
512 | paper. For ideas on what to do, see the book, | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
513 | |
514 | @display | |
515 | Human Factors and Typography for More Readable Programs, | |
516 | Ronald M. Baecker and Aaron Marcus, | |
517 | Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-10745-7 | |
518 | @end display | |
519 | ||
fff05d88 | 520 | But you don't have to do exactly what they propose. |
283fd8a7 | 521 | @end ignore |
bb5d4e1a | 522 | |
fff05d88 RS |
523 | @ignore |
524 | @c This is now being worked on -- rms, 22 June 1998 | |
7c4978a8 | 525 | @item |
541d49e1 JG |
526 | A program to convert Microsoft Word documents to text/enriched, TeX, |
527 | LaTeX, Texinfo, or some other format that free software can edit. | |
fff05d88 RS |
528 | @end ignore |
529 | ||
530 | @ignore | |
531 | @c People are helping the developer of siff release it as free software. | |
7c4978a8 | 532 | |
fff05d88 | 533 | @item |
50b9d07d | 534 | A free replacement for siff (sometimes called sif). This would be a |
fff05d88 RS |
535 | program to find similar files in a large file system, ``similar'' |
536 | meaning that the files contain a significant number of common substrings | |
537 | that are of a certain size or greater. You can find some information | |
538 | about siff (which is, unfortunately, not free software) at | |
539 | @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.arizona.edu/reports/1993/TR93-33.ps.Z}. | |
540 | @end ignore | |
541 | ||
542 | @ignore | |
543 | @c This is being developed -- rms, 3 May 1998 | |
7c4978a8 RS |
544 | @item |
545 | A free replacement for the semi-free Qt library. | |
fff05d88 | 546 | @end ignore |
7c4978a8 | 547 | |
ca0afed9 RS |
548 | @item |
549 | High-quality music compression software. | |
fff05d88 | 550 | (Talk with @email{phr@@netcom.com} for relevant suggestions.) |
c6d6677e RS |
551 | Unfortunately we cannot implement the popular MP3 format |
552 | due to patents, so this job includes working out some other | |
553 | non-patented format and compression method. | |
ca0afed9 RS |
554 | |
555 | @item | |
556 | A program to play sound distributed in ``Real Audio'' format. | |
557 | ||
558 | @item | |
559 | A program to generate ``Real Audio'' format from audio input. | |
560 | ||
fff05d88 RS |
561 | @item |
562 | Programs to handle audio in RTSP format. | |
563 | ||
632c6364 | 564 | @ignore @c Software patents have made this domain off limits to free software. |
ca0afed9 RS |
565 | @item |
566 | An MPEG III audio encoder/decoder (but it is necessary to check, first, | |
567 | whether patents make this impossible). | |
568 | ||
ab9ca9c7 | 569 | @c Chris Hofstader is working on this. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
570 | @item |
571 | Speech-generation programs (there is a program from Brown U that you | |
572 | could improve). | |
573 | ||
ab9ca9c7 | 574 | @c We have a project now. |
bb5d4e1a | 575 | @item |
948c942f | 576 | Speech-recognition programs (single-speaker, disconnected speech is sufficient). |
ab9ca9c7 | 577 | @end ignore |
948c942f | 578 | |
1c5d31a7 JWI |
579 | @item |
580 | A braille translation and formatting system which can convert marked up | |
581 | documents into braille. This should let the user customize the braille | |
582 | translation rules; it would be good to divide it into a | |
583 | device-independent part plus drivers. Contact Jason White, | |
0fd51ae1 | 584 | @email{jasonw@@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU}. |
1c5d31a7 | 585 | |
fff05d88 RS |
586 | @ignore Being done |
587 | @item | |
588 | A program to display text word by word, always showing just one word at | |
589 | a time. This method permits much faster reading than ordinary text | |
590 | display. If you want to work on this, contact @email{stutz@@dsl.org} to | |
591 | learn more. | |
592 | @end ignore | |
593 | ||
bb5d4e1a | 594 | @item |
b6a061a8 RS |
595 | More scientific mathematical subroutines. |
596 | (A clone of SPSS is being written already.) | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
597 | |
598 | @item | |
599 | Statistical tools. | |
600 | ||
eee331a5 RS |
601 | @item |
602 | A scientific data collection and processing tool, | |
603 | perhaps something like Scientific Workbench and/or Khoros, | |
604 | ||
dd7dc1f9 JG |
605 | @item |
606 | A program to calculate properties of molecules by solving | |
607 | the Schroedinger equation. | |
608 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
609 | @item |
610 | Software to replace card catalogues in libraries. | |
611 | ||
3ab93df3 BY |
612 | @item |
613 | A simulator for heating and air conditioning systems for buildings. | |
614 | ||
d2c1d7a8 KH |
615 | @item |
616 | A package for editing genealogical records conveniently. | |
617 | This could perhaps be done as a Gnome program, or perhaps | |
c04006ac | 618 | as an Emacs extension. |
d2c1d7a8 | 619 | |
ca0afed9 RS |
620 | @item |
621 | A project-scheduling package that accepts a list of project sub-tasks | |
622 | with their interdependencies, and generates Gantt charts and Pert charts | |
623 | and all the other standard project progress reports. | |
624 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
625 | @item |
626 | Grammar and style checking programs. | |
627 | ||
608369ba JG |
628 | @item |
629 | A diagnostic program to test a hard disk. | |
630 | ||
eee331a5 | 631 | @item |
ac01a1c0 RS |
632 | A fast emulator for the i386, which would make it possible |
633 | to emulate x86 code on other CPUs, and also to more easily | |
634 | debug kernels such as Linux more conveniently. | |
635 | ||
636 | To make this faster, it could work by translating machine instructions | |
637 | into the machine language of the host machine. | |
eee331a5 | 638 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
639 | @item |
640 | Optical character recognition programs; especially if suitable for | |
641 | scanning documents with multiple fonts and capturing font info as well | |
261597d4 | 642 | as character codes. Work is being done on this, but more help is needed. |
5aba97f2 | 643 | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
644 | @item |
645 | A program to scan a line drawing and convert it to Postscript. | |
646 | ||
647 | @item | |
648 | A program to recognize handwriting. | |
649 | ||
650 | @item | |
651 | A pen based interface. | |
652 | ||
bb5d4e1a RS |
653 | @item |
654 | CAD software, such as a vague imitation of Autocad. | |
ca0afed9 RS |
655 | |
656 | @item | |
657 | A program to receive data from a serial-line tap to facilitate the | |
658 | reverse-engineering of communication protocols. | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
659 | @end itemize |
660 | ||
6af1f598 | 661 | @node Languages, Games and Recreations, Other Projects, Top |
0f82d9d8 | 662 | @chapter Programming Languages |
bb5d4e1a | 663 | |
d9e60f52 | 664 | Volunteers are needed to write parsers/front ends for languages such as |
0b2a408e | 665 | Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, Cobol, Fortran 90, Delphi, Modula 2, Modula 3, |
595ab6b8 JE |
666 | RPG, and any other languages designed for compilation, to be used with |
667 | the code generation phases of the GNU C compiler. | |
2eebaacd | 668 | |
fff05d88 | 669 | @c Fortran status is here so gnu@gnu.org and the volunteer coordinators |
cab856b0 | 670 | @c don't have to answer the question -len |
2eebaacd | 671 | You can get the status of the Fortran front end with this command: |
cab856b0 | 672 | |
2eebaacd | 673 | @example |
fff05d88 | 674 | finger -l fortran@@gnu.org |
cab856b0 | 675 | @end example |
bb5d4e1a | 676 | |
0f82d9d8 | 677 | We would like to have translators from various languages into Scheme. |
dc32c4fa | 678 | These languages include TCL, Python, Perl, Java, Javascript, and Rexx. |
0f82d9d8 RS |
679 | |
680 | We would like to have an implementation of Clipper, perhaps a GCC front | |
681 | end, and perhaps a translator into Scheme. | |
682 | ||
6af1f598 | 683 | @node Games and Recreations, , Languages, Top |
d6eb79ad | 684 | @chapter Games and Recreations |
bb5d4e1a | 685 | |
c05524ad RS |
686 | Video-oriented games that work with the X window system. |
687 | ||
d9e60f52 | 688 | @itemize @bullet |
bb5d4e1a RS |
689 | @item |
690 | Empire (there is a free version but it needs upgrading) | |
691 | ||
2eebaacd RS |
692 | @item |
693 | An ``empire builder'' system that makes it easy to write various kinds of | |
694 | simulation games. | |
695 | ||
c05524ad RS |
696 | @item |
697 | Improve GnuGo, which is not yet very sophisticated. | |
698 | ||
0f82d9d8 RS |
699 | @item |
700 | Network servers and clients for board and card games for which such | |
701 | software does not yet exist. | |
702 | ||
bb5d4e1a | 703 | @item |
fff05d88 RS |
704 | A Hierarchical Task Network package which can be used |
705 | to program play the computer's side in various strategic games. | |
706 | ||
707 | @item | |
708 | Write imitations of some popular video games: | |
bb5d4e1a | 709 | |
d9e60f52 | 710 | @itemize - |
bb5d4e1a RS |
711 | @item |
712 | Space war, Asteroids, Pong, Columns. | |
713 | @item | |
714 | Defending cities from missiles. | |
715 | @item | |
2eebaacd | 716 | Plane shoots at lots of other planes, tanks, etc. |
bb5d4e1a | 717 | @item |
fff05d88 | 718 | Wizard fights fanciful monsters. |
bb5d4e1a RS |
719 | @item |
720 | A golf game. | |
fff05d88 | 721 | @ignore Being done by jhall1@isd.net |
bb5d4e1a RS |
722 | @item |
723 | Program a robot by sticking building blocks together, | |
724 | then watch it explore a world. | |
fff05d88 | 725 | @end ignore |
bb5d4e1a | 726 | @item |
7c4978a8 RS |
727 | Biomorph evolution (as in Scientific American and @cite{The Blind |
728 | Watchmaker}). | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
729 | @item |
730 | A program to display effects of moving at relativistic speeds. | |
731 | @end itemize | |
bb5d4e1a RS |
732 | @end itemize |
733 | ||
734 | We do not need @code{rogue}, as we have @code{hack}. | |
735 | ||
736 | @contents | |
737 | ||
738 | @bye | |
fff05d88 RS |
739 | Local variables: |
740 | update-date-leading-regexp: "@c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:\n@set lastupdate " | |
741 | update-date-trailing-regexp: "" | |
742 | eval: (load "/gd/gnuorg/update-date.el") | |
743 | eval: (add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'update-date) | |
744 | End: |