Development comments for SyncContrib

-- MartinCleaver - 19 Sep 2005

Thanks Martin for contribution this extension. Someone might pick it up and turn it into a Plugin.

-- PeterThoeny - 19 Sep 2005

For next release I suggest to

• base the contrib topic on the default template (with Summary, Settings, Installation Instructions, Contrib Info sections)
• use Interwiki names

-- PeterThoeny - 19 Sep 2005

I've pushed up a version with better logging and easier configuration.

Still only in SVN (gotta give you people a reason to try SVN )

-- MartinCleaver - 25 Nov 2005

Attached is a copy of the talk I gave last night...

-- MartinCleaver - 25 Nov 2005

I've updated the sample config file following some coaching from MattWilkie.

I have no plans to release this as a zip/tgz or to develop it as a Plugin until I get enough feedback on the contrib.

-- MartinCleaver - 28 Nov 2005

I've just started using Unison for backup, and if I get time may have a go at using this SyncContrib for TWiki as well. Unison is very impressive, particularly its ability to sync files across Windows and Unix - thanks for the many links and writeups!

-- RichardDonkin - 05 Feb 2006

You are welcome... please do ask questions as it works fairly smoothly in most cases.

I'm happy to talk over Skype about it too.

-- MartinCleaver - 05 Feb 2006

I glanced the code, but it is not obvious to me, how this contrib handles conflicts in a master-master setup? (Both sides updated since last sync).

HowToSetupForMultipleSites suggests this is possible with this script?

-- SteffenPoulsen - 16 Jun 2006

TWiki already handles conflicts itself - Crawford added merge on conflict handling in Dakar.

So this works for the whiteboard, but not for text, IIRC.

-- MartinCleaver - 16 Jun 2006

Step-by-step instructions for setting it up on two wikis and a detailed explanation of which merge scenarious it actually handles would be cool. I.e. how does it handle the central, interesting cases:

• Basic conflicts on topics
  • Traditional handling of conflicts, topic updated in two different ways which can't be merged nicely. (What happens to versions in between - diffs - chronological merging of revisions from both sides based on timestamp or?)
• Updated attachments
  • Both servers has the same attachment updated (with two different binary revisions at HEAD and with different number of revisions added in between)
• Updated plugin work areas
  • Both servers have a plugin working binary file updated

The ppt suggests that no merge is done at all, and you are left with the two revisions dumped. On top there will be no further transactions on that file until the conflict is resolved manually.

This sounds like it is potentially creating more problems than it solves?

- If anybody is actually using this contrib for syncing parallel live sites I'd love to hear any feedback.

-- SteffenPoulsen - 16 Jun 2006

I'd be delighted to solve these problems etc. but this code is - like all my contributions - as-is, until my clients (or I personallly) need it or the twiki community finds a way to make it pay.

This is a structural community problem that needs to be addressed at the top. Without infrastructural community intervention, GettingPaidToDevelopTWiki to ensure eventuates efforts will continue to wane on many interesting fronts.

• See my reply to this in GettingPaidToDevelopTWiki. -- PeterThoeny - 03 Aug 2006

-- MartinCleaver - 30 Jul 2006

In the meantime, this contrib's industrial strength use is probably limited to one-way publishing.

-- MartinCleaver - 30 Jul 2006

I have had interest from a potential client sponsoring this work. I will keep the community informed.

-- MartinCleaver - 05 Oct 2006

http://martin.cleaver.org/blog/2006/12/15/socialtext-available-offline/

-- MartinCleaver - 16 Dec 2006

You may be interested in http://blog.wikiring.com/Blog/BlogEntry14

-- CrawfordCurrie - 17 Dec 2006

I am really looking forward to trying this Plugin and to see it mature. At the moment I have a local TWiki-Installation based on the VMPlayer-Download, that you offer. My IT-colleagues give me a current version via rsync on demand. Then I work with the Wiki while travelling. But the resync of my changes has to be done manually. Will this Plugin help me with that? How are conflicts solved?

-- MartinSeibert - 27 Jan 2008