2017-06-27 - Re: Version 4.0 funding discussion (Mini roadmap)

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From: nikolaosp <ni***p@gmail.com>
Message Hash: 9478a3855bf472a1e64dac414b23d290a3050213862420e502c05e54f7896fb7
Message ID: <f6d44bcb-8d77-4d05-8fdb-73eec9a8ae58@grasehotspot.org>
Reply To: <CAESLx0JLnoyKikPWug9gixizQ3Q_-COn=v50=G6JPxB8s6ikOQ@mail.gmail.com>
UTC Datetime: 2017-06-27 10:59:26 UTC
Raw Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2017 10:59:26 -0700

Raw message 

Hi Tim,

we also have been using this excellent software for the past 4 years. We 
probably would be able to chip in an amount each month. So count us in!

On Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 11:50:51 PM UTC+3, timwhite88 wrote:
>
> To the community of Grase Hotspot users,
>
> It's been a while since I updated you on my intention and hopes for the 
> Grase hotspot, so I thought it time to check in and share what's been going 
> on.
>
> I have been working on some changes to the Grase Hotspot, and I have a 
> full roadmap that I want to share with you about where we're heading and 
> exciting new functionality I want to include. I've started on the multiple 
> package repositories and moving the backend to Symfony, but there's lots 
> more work to be done.  I've included the road map at the end of this email.
>
> The limiting factor for all of this at the moment is time.  I currently 
> work full time at my day job and come home just in time to eat with my wife 
> and four small children and do bedtime (which if any of you have children 
> know takes far more time than I'd ever thought possible before).  I would 
> desperately love to put some good time into expanding the functionality of 
> Grase hotspot and making it work really well, but I just simply don't have 
> the time.  I've thought about a lot of different ways to be able to work on 
> it AND bring money in to feed the family, but I haven't come up with 
> anything that doesn't commercialise it and make it less accessible than it 
> is now.  Then it occurred to me that it just may be possible that there are 
> others out there who would be willing to support this project.
>
> What I'm interested in finding out is if there is any interest in this 
> community supporting me to make the Grase Hotspot to the next level.  
> Something like Patreon (although ideally without the 5% fees they take) 
> where people or businesses would commit to a monthly amount to help make 
> this my "day job."  If there was enough interest to cover even 1 or 2 days 
> work a week, then the hotspot would progress much, much faster.
>
> I've been working on this project since I first developed the Grase 
> hotspot 9 years ago.  I'm a big believer in open source software, so I have 
> no intention of closing the community out by making it closed source, or 
> making a paid "premium" version.  When a cloud version is developed, I 
> would probably sell a hosted version, simply to make it easier for people 
> who just want to run a small hotspot (e.g. with an OpenMesh AP), including 
> for families, without the work of hosting the backend.  However this would 
> still be the open source version.
>
> If you think you can assist with making the Grase Hotspot my "day job," 
> I'd love to hear from you.  
> Otherwise things will continue to progress as my time permits.  
> I'm committed to this, and will continue to be, no matter what that looks 
> like.  
>
> Thanks for using the Grase Hotspot and for being a part of this community.
>
> Tim
>
> *Hotspot Roadmap*
> As many of you are aware, the current 3.8 version doesn't run on Ubuntu 
> 16.04, or Debian 9. There are technical difficulties with getting things to 
> run (in PHP) both on 14.04, 16.04 and Debian 9, not helped by some legacy 
> aspects of the Grase codebase (PEAR libraries anyone?).
>
> I have a mini roadmap of where I'd like to take Grase for version 4, so I 
> might as well share it with you all.
>
>    - PHP 7 (Will be required, makes for a nicer codebase)
>    - RESTful API for backend (Symfony based)
>    - Javascript based frontend (Angular/React, or something else)
>       - Mobile friendly
>    - The merging of the radius and radmin databases into one with proper 
>    foreign keys where possible (We are still somewhat restricted with the 
>    Freeradius SQL schema)
>    - Latest Coova Chilli
>    - Multiple package repositories, one per distribution, so we can 
>    better support different versions of dependencies (Freeradius 2 vs 3)
>    - Support "cloud" deployments. Where the Database/Backend can be 
>    hosted away from the wireless access controller, coova-chilli. This would 
>    also allow multiple sites from one database/backend
>
> My intention would be to bring all current functionality from 3.8 into 4, 
> although some  features may have to wait until 4.1.
>
> Work has already been done on the multiple package repositories, and 
> moving the backend to Symfony. The database merge is also done as part of 
> that.
>

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