Features/GNU Enterprise

= GNU Enterprise =

Summary
GNU Enterprise (GNUe) is an enterprise-class data-aware application development suite that is part of the GNU Project.

Owner

 * Name: Aaron S. Hawley

Current status

 * Targeted release: Fedora 11
 * Last updated: 2008-11-02
 * Percentage of completion: 20%

Detailed Description
GNUe is a meta-project for the following packages (called "GNUe tools")


 * gnue-common -- GNUe Common Library
 * gnue-appserver -- XML Application Server
 * gnue-forms -- Data aware user interface
 * gnue-reports -- Reporting system with XML, text, HTML, Label Stock, and CSV formats
 * gnue-navigator -- Menuing system to GNUe
 * gnue-designer -- IDE for GNUe forms and schema

The project is written in the "multi-platform, easy to read, object oriented language", Python. It is designed to have i18n and l10n support. It is written with an "XML-to-Object parser and Object-to-XML marshaller", and can access "business data in free PostgreSQL, MySQL, MaxDB, Firebird, and SQLite databases, as well as the proprietary Oracle and MS SQL databases". It is built with "an RPC abstraction layer, an events system, an XML-based document parser, and numerous other functions." GNUe supports various user interface libraries and toolkits, including curses (terminal), wxPython, GTK+ 2, PyQT 3.

In the future, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) "packages" will configure GNUe tools for specific purposes including financial accounting, customer relations, budget forecasting, human resources, manufacturing, project management, sales, supply chain management, and project management.

Benefit to Fedora
GNUe provides an enterprise-class application development suite for Fedora.

Fedora would become a well-supported platform of GNUe, and would evolve alongside and with the development of GNUe.

GNUe would enhance Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

Scope

 * 1) Contribute RPMs for each of the GNUe packages.
 * 2) Develop init-script for starting application server
 * 3) Document how to use GNUe on Fedora:
 * 4) with specific database backends,
 * 5) with specific user interface platforms,
 * 6) with appropriate permissions and security settings (SELinux?)
 * 7) Fix bugs and write tests

In the long term:
 * 1) Fix bugs
 * 2) Support upstream development

Test Plan

 * Develop minimal recipe for testing GNUe packages are working
 * Document significant bugs and missing features that affect Fedora

User Experience
When installed on Fedora, the suite should run as it is expected to.

The configuration of GNUe packages will need to be manually carried out by the user.

Dependencies
Since GNUe doesn't need a database, none of the database backends that GNUe supports should become requisites for any GNUe package.

However, the Python-specific user interface and database driver libraries should be required by the packages. The database drivers are currently dependent on by gnue-common, and the packages with user interfaces require each of the available toolkits.


 * python >= 2.3
 * mx
 * python-psycopg2
 * MySQL-python
 * PyQt
 * wxPython

GNUe is a project that is under development. Significant design changes by the upstream hackers will impact the stability

Contingency Plan
This package doesn't affect Fedora as a whole.

This is an ongoing project, however the work on developing a free software enterprise system is important to begin now.

Documentation
Local:
 * Getting started with GNUe Appserver

Internet:
 * GNUe Web site
 * GNUe documentation
 * GNUe Get involved

Release Notes
Fedora includes GNU Enterprise (GNUe), an enterprise-class data-aware application development suite that is part of the GNU Project. GNUe development is still underway and parts of it are still being planned. However, now Fedora gives developers the opportunity to start using the software packages and perhaps even work to improve them.

Comments and Discussion

 * See Talk:Features/GNU Enterprise