Hi,
I'm not a GRAMPS developers, but:
On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 1:33 AM, John <jhy001@...> wrote:
> I tried installing gramps on MacOS (Macports) and it doesn't work.
I'm not sure who maintains the MacPorts builds.
> After over 8 hours of installs, it is doa. I have the latest OS,
> latest XQuartz, Xcode, etc. etc. (9 dependencies, some with
> dozens of other dependencies!!!
That's the way MacPorts work for almost anything non-trivial,
especially if it is the first X application being compiled.
> I think the gramps developer
> geeks desperately need to hire a tech and programming consultant!
> They apparently don't care much about the code or if anybody
> ever uses their program other than themselves).
This is highly unfair to the GRAMPS developers in so many different
ways. The idea that volunteers that give their own time to the program
should actually spend money from their pocket to support the OSX build
as if it were something very special and crucial doesn't make sense.
If - and this is a big if - hiring someone was even an option I can
think of many better places to spend the non-existent money than
supporting the OSX build.
Plus, programming quality doesn't have anything to do with the quality
or lack thereof of the OSX build, it merely reflects that nobody using
OSX has volunteered to make any adjustments.
> I posted the errors here a couple of days ago, and other than one
> person saying he sees the first error and it still runs, I've
> heard nothing.
Perhaps there aren't many OSX users using GRAMPS.
> So, I consider gramps NOT AN OPTION for MacOS, and am now telling
> everyone in my genealogy meetings and on line not to bother with it.
You say that in a way that seems that somehow the GRAMPS developers
will lose money from it. No more OSX users merely diminishes even more
the chances of any error being fixed. GRAMPS developers don't use OSX,
and if nobody that uses it volunteers to clean up whatever is missing
the errors will not disappear.
> And I have no need for linux or Windoze since MacOS X came out.
Neither most of us has a need for OSX. Which is not to say that it
wouldn't be nice if GRAMPS worked perfectly in it.
> (heck, even Windoze programs usually work, such as they are, when
> you try to install them).
That is always an option. There are also several proprietary genealogy
packages for OSX, as you are undoubtedly aware.
In short I'm certain that the GRAMPS developers would love to have the
OSX port work as smoothly as possible, but lacking people willing to
help with that it is unreasonable to expect that they should hire
someone to do it. If it doesn't fit your needs - as it clearly
doesn't, since it doesn't run - and lacking any OSX users and
developers willing to work on it is only logical that the OSX build
will only be fixed at a latter date when this conditions are met.
Regards,
Frederico
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