[Python-Dev] Python on Windows with CoApp

[Trent Nelson]

Howdy folks,

Quick e-mail at 34,000ft (aren't wifi-enabled flights great?) to mention 
a new initiative that's been started by Microsoft called CoApp (Common 
Opensource Application Publishing Platform).  The aim is simple: make 
open source software rock on Windows ;-)

It's probably easiest to think of it as a 
Microsoft-endorsed-but-community-run open source distribution for 
Windows, akin to all the various package managers for Linux 
distributions and ports/packages for the *BSDs.  There are specific user 
and developer experiences we'll be addressing -- like making it easy to 
install and use open source software, or use it within your own project 
(open source or not).

CoApp will affect Python in one of two ways.  Once there's a clear-cut 
specification for open source projects to follow, Python can either 
decide to follow it, or not.  The same applies to all open source 
packages, actually.  For those that follow it, great!  If not, no 
problem -- the plan is to shallow-fork such projects via launchpad and 
the CoApp community will take responsibility for getting releases of 
open source projects into CoApp shape.

It's in its infancy at the moment -- it took the chap (Garrett Serack) 
who's spearheading it at Microsoft about six months to get it all signed 
off by the lawyers and platform/server VPs.

So, for those of you out there who are Windows-inclined, now's a perfect 
time to get involved to help shape the direction of CoApp going forward.

The website/wiki is http://coapp.org/ and the launchpad project site is 
http://launchpad.net/coapp (which is where the mailing list is hosted).

We're actually having a 'CoApp Development Summit' tomorrow and Friday 
in Seattle (that Microsoft's graciously sponsored).  The event will be 
accessible via Live Meeting for those that are interested: 
http://coapp.org/Project_Planning/CoApp_Design_and_Development_Summit

Regards,

	Trent.