comparison etc/tasks.texi @ 9890:5f3d80bda2f8

Remove entries for things that are done. Reformat a little.

9889:fd275e625abe

\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename tasks.info
@settitle GNU Task List
@c UPDATE THIS DATE WHENEVER YOU MAKE CHANGES!
@set lastupdate 08 November 1994
@c %**end of header

@setchapternewpage off

@titlepage

@author last updated @value{lastupdate}
@end titlepage

@ifinfo
@node Top, Documentation, (dir), (dir)
@top GNU Task list

This file is updated automatically from @file{tasks.texi}, which was
last updated on @value{lastupdate}.
@end ifinfo

Check with gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu, for a possibly more current copy.
This task list is not exclusive; any other useful program might be a
good project---but it might instead be something we already have, so
check with gnu@@prep before you start writing it.

@menu
* Documentation::               
* Unix-Related Projects::       
* Kernel Projects::     

* Other Projects::       
* Compilers::
* Games and Recreations::       
@end menu

If you start working steadily on a project, please let gnu@@prep know.
We might have information that could help you; we'd also like to send
you the GNU coding standards.

Because of the natural tendency for most volunteers to write
programming tools or programming languages, we have a comparative
shortage of applications useful for non-programmer users.  Therefore,
we ask you to consider writing such a program.

A C reference manual.  (RMS has written half of one which you could
start with).

@item
A manual for Ghostscript.

@item
A manual for CSH.

@item
A manual for PIC (the graphics formatting language).

@item
A manual for Perl.  (The manual that exists is not free, and
is thus not available to be part of the GNU system.)

@item
A manual for Oleo.

@item

Reference cards for those manuals that don't have them: Gawk, C
Compiler, Make, Texinfo, Termcap and maybe the C Library.

@item
Many utilities need documentation, including @code{grep}, @code{cpio},
@code{find}, 
@c @code{less}, 
and the other small utilities.

@end itemize

@node Unix-Related Projects
@chapter Unix-Related projects

@itemize

@item
We could use an emulation of Unix @code{spell}, which would run by
invoking @code{ispell}.

@item
Less urgent: @code{diction}, @code{explain}, @code{style}.

@item
An improved version of the POSIX utility @code{pax}.  There is one on
the usenet, but it is said to be poorly written.  Talk with
mib@@gnu.ai.mit.edu about this project.

@ignore
@item
Modify the GNU @code{dc} program to use the math routines of GNU
@code{bc}.

@item
Various other libraries.

@item
An emulation of SCCS that works using RCS.

@end itemize

@node Kernel Projects
@chapter Kernel-Related projects

@itemize
@item
An over-the-ethernet debugger stub that will allow the kernel to be
debugged from GDB running on another machine.

This stub needs its own self-contained implementation of all protocols

need some changes.

@item
A shared memory X11 server to run under MACH is very desirable.  The
machine specific parts should be kept well separated.

@end itemize

@node Extensions
@chapter Extensions to existing GNU software

@itemize

@item
Enhance GCC.  See files PROJECTS and PROBLEMS in the GCC distribution.

@item
GNU @code{sed} probably needs to be rewritten completely just to make it
cleaner.

@item
Add a few features to GNU @code{diff}, such as handling large input
files without reading entire files into core.

@item
Extend GDB with an X-based graphical interface better than @code{xxgdb}.

@item
An @code{nroff} macro package to simplify @code{texi2roff}.

@item
A queueing system for the mailer Smail that groups pending work by
destination rather than by original message.  This makes it possible
to schedule retries coherently for each destination.  Talk to
tron@@veritas.com about this.

Smail also needs a new chief maintainer.

@item
Enhanced cross-reference browsing tools.  (We now have something at
about the level of @code{cxref}.)  We also could use something like
@code{ctrace}.  (Some people are now working on this project.)
@end itemize

@node X Windows Projects
@chapter X windows projects

@itemize

@item
An emulator for Macintosh graphics calls on top of X Windows.

@item
An emulator for Microsoft windows calls on top of X Windows.  (A
commercial program to do this took just three months to write.)

@item
A music playing and editing system.

@item

@item
A paint program, supporting both bitmap-oriented operations and
component-oriented operations.  @code{xpaint} exists, but isn't very
usable.

@end itemize

@node Other Projects
@chapter Other Projects

If you think of others that should be added, please
send them to gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu.

@itemize

@item
[This seems to be being done:]
A program to convert Postscript to plain ASCII text.  Ghostscript will
soon have a mode to output all the text strings in a document, each with
its coordinates.  You could write a program to start with this output

a calculator like @code{bc}, and so on.  The fact that all these
programs are similar but different in peculiar details is a great source
of confusion.  We are stuck with maintaining compatibility with Unix in
our shell, @code{awk}, and @code{bc}, but nothing prevents us from
having alternative programs using our new, uniform language.  This would
make GNU far better for new users.

@item
A program to typeset C code for printing.
For ideas on what to do, see the forthcoming book,

Software for displaying molecules.

@item
Software for comparing DNA sequences, and finding matches and
alignments.

@end itemize

@node Compilers
@chapter Compilers for Other Batch Languages

Volunteers are needed to write parsers/front ends for languages such
as Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, or whatever, to be used with the
code generation phases of the GNU C compiler.  (C++ is done, and
Ada, Fortran, Pascal and Modula are being worked on.)

@node Games and Recreations
@chapter Games and Recreations

@itemize

@item
Video-oriented games should work with the X window system.

@item
Empire (there is a free version but it needs upgrading)

@item
Imitations of popular video games:

@itemize
@item
Space war, Asteroids, Pong, Columns.
@item
Defending cities from missiles.
@item

@item
Intriguing screen-saver programs to make interesting pictures.
Other such programs that are simply entertaining to watch.
For example, an aquarium.

@end itemize

We do not need @code{rogue}, as we have @code{hack}.

@contents

9890:5f3d80bda2f8

\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename tasks.info
@settitle GNU Task List
@c UPDATE THIS DATE WHENEVER YOU MAKE CHANGES!
@set lastupdate 10 November 1994
@c %**end of header

@setchapternewpage off

@titlepage

@author last updated @value{lastupdate}
@end titlepage

@ifinfo
@node Top, Documentation, (dir), (dir)
@top GNU Task List

This file is updated automatically from @file{tasks.texi}, which was
last updated on @value{lastupdate}.
@end ifinfo

Check with @code{gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu}, for a possibly more current copy.
This task list is not exclusive; any other useful program might be a
good project---but it might instead be something we already have, so
check with @code{gnu@@prep} before you start writing it.

@menu
* Documentation::               
* Unix-Related Projects::       
* Kernel Projects::     

* Other Projects::       
* Compilers::
* Games and Recreations::       
@end menu

If you start working steadily on a project, please let @code{gnu@@prep}
know.  We might have information that could help you; we'd also like to
send you the GNU coding standards.

Because of the natural tendency for most volunteers to write
programming tools or programming languages, we have a comparative
shortage of applications useful for non-programmer users.  Therefore,
we ask you to consider writing such a program.

A C reference manual.  (RMS has written half of one which you could
start with).

@item
A manual for Ghostscript.
@c
@c @item
@c A manual for CSH.
@c Ick, do we want to encourage using THAT?  -djm

@item
A manual for PIC (the graphics formatting language).

@item
A manual for Perl.  (The books that exist are not free, and
thus not available to be part of the GNU system.)

@item
A manual for Oleo.

@item

Reference cards for those manuals that don't have them: Gawk, C
Compiler, Make, Texinfo, Termcap and maybe the C Library.

@item
Many utilities need documentation, including @code{grep}, @code{cpio},
and other small utilities.
@end itemize

@node Unix-Related Projects
@chapter Unix-Related Projects

@itemize @bullet
@item
We could use an emulation of Unix @code{spell}, which would run by
invoking @code{ispell}.

@item
Less urgent: @code{diction}, @code{explain}, @code{style}.

@item
An improved version of the POSIX utility @code{pax}.  There is one on
the Usenet, but it is said to be poorly written.  Talk with
@code{mib@@gnu.ai.mit.edu} about this project.

@ignore
@item
Modify the GNU @code{dc} program to use the math routines of GNU
@code{bc}.

@item
Various other libraries.

@item
An emulation of SCCS that works using RCS.
@end itemize

@node Kernel Projects
@chapter Kernel-Related Projects

@itemize @bullet
@item
An over-the-ethernet debugger stub that will allow the kernel to be
debugged from GDB running on another machine.

This stub needs its own self-contained implementation of all protocols

need some changes.

@item
A shared memory X11 server to run under MACH is very desirable.  The
machine specific parts should be kept well separated.
@end itemize

@node Extensions
@chapter Extensions to Existing GNU Software

@itemize @bullet
@item
Enhance GCC.  See files @file{PROJECTS} and @file{PROBLEMS} in the GCC
distribution.

@item
GNU @code{sed} probably needs to be rewritten completely just to make it
cleaner.

@item
Add a few features to GNU @code{diff}, such as handling large input
files without reading entire files into core.

@item
An @code{nroff} macro package to simplify @code{texi2roff}.

@item
A queueing system for the mailer Smail that groups pending work by
destination rather than by original message.  This makes it possible
to schedule retries coherently for each destination.  Talk to
@code{tron@@veritas.com} about this.

Smail also needs a new chief maintainer.

@item
Enhanced cross-reference browsing tools.  (We now have something at
about the level of @code{cxref}.)  We also could use something like
@code{ctrace}.  (Some people are now working on this project.)
@end itemize

@node X Windows Projects
@chapter X Windows Projects

@itemize @bullet
@item
An emulator for Macintosh graphics calls on top of X Windows.

@item
A music playing and editing system.

@item

@item
A paint program, supporting both bitmap-oriented operations and
component-oriented operations.  @code{xpaint} exists, but isn't very
usable.
@end itemize

@node Other Projects
@chapter Other Projects

If you think of others that should be added, please
send them to @code{gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu}.

@itemize @bullet
@item
[This seems to be being done:]
A program to convert Postscript to plain ASCII text.  Ghostscript will
soon have a mode to output all the text strings in a document, each with
its coordinates.  You could write a program to start with this output

a calculator like @code{bc}, and so on.  The fact that all these
programs are similar but different in peculiar details is a great source
of confusion.  We are stuck with maintaining compatibility with Unix in
our shell, @code{awk}, and @code{bc}, but nothing prevents us from
having alternative programs using our new, uniform language.  This would
make GNU far better for new users.  Talk with @code{lord@@cygnus.com} if
you are interested in this project.

@item
A program to typeset C code for printing.
For ideas on what to do, see the forthcoming book,

Software for displaying molecules.

@item
Software for comparing DNA sequences, and finding matches and
alignments.
@end itemize

@node Compilers
@chapter Compilers for Other Batch Languages

Volunteers are needed to write parsers/front ends for languages such as
Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, or whatever, to be used with the code
generation phases of the GNU C compiler.  (C++ and Objective C are done,
and Ada, Fortran, Pascal and Modula are being worked on.)

@node Games and Recreations
@chapter Games and Recreations

@itemize @bullet
@item
Video-oriented games should work with the X window system.

@item
Empire (there is a free version but it needs upgrading)

@item
Imitations of popular video games:

@itemize -
@item
Space war, Asteroids, Pong, Columns.
@item
Defending cities from missiles.
@item

@item
Intriguing screen-saver programs to make interesting pictures.
Other such programs that are simply entertaining to watch.
For example, an aquarium.
@end itemize

We do not need @code{rogue}, as we have @code{hack}.

@contents