Difference between revisions of "Linux Packaging project"

Kiwix is a software which works and it is still improved on a daily basis. But one of the biggest problem we have is that too much potential customer ignore that a good solution like Kiwix exists. That why we need to make an effort to advert and bring Kiwix to people and organizations.

On Windows, most of the work we need to do is communication work, people are used to download software directly from the Web, so we still need to convince them to do it. With [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU/Linux_distribution Linux distributions], the situation is not the same because it works differently: it's difficult to install softwares which are not in the internal software catalog (or called "official package repository"). That's why is really important to have Kiwix in those software catalogs for the most used Linux distributions, and this is the main purpose of this project.

Increase reach is currently [https://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Plan/Movement_Priorities#Increase_Reach the first Wikimedia strategic goal]. Offline is an essential part of the Wikimedia strategy and Kiwix, as official Wikimedia offline reader, is a master piece of this strategy.

GNU/Linux represents only a small part of our audience, but this is the audience we want to push. We think that free software is the best solution to access to free content. This is also the best solution for economically poor people who are our most targeted audience. At the same time, this part of the audience is used to collaborate, and so on often make more and better feedbacks about the software - something essential to improve it.

Around 25.000 people per month download Kiwix. This is a lot and this number is growing constantly. But we still think that millions of people need Kiwix ; this number represents only a small fraction of our potential audience. That's why this project is essential to push Kiwix and Wikipedia to those users.

* Fully deployment of Kiwix in the most known and used GNU/Linux distributions. Most of GNU/Linux users will be able in a few clicks (really handful and without going to the Web) to install Kiwix with Wikipedia.

* Improve the global quality of Kiwix compilation scripts with the feedbacks of new high skilled GNU/Linux users.

* Increase audience and quality of feedbacks from GNU/Linux users who otherwise would not really have the chance to install Wikipedia offline.

* Create the packages to use [http://www.kiwix.org/index.php/Kiwix-serve kiwix-serve] for with routers (widely used and really cheap). This would be an improvement of the [http://www.wikimedia.fr/afripedia Afripedia] project solution. Instead of having kiwix-plug for 250CHF, will would be able to provide the same service for 100CHF.

* Most secure and handful software using the SSL signature. This will allow to seriously authentify the binary code. For example, on MS/Windows, this avoid the popup secure dialog box appearing at each start of Kiwix, Kiwix installer or Kiwix launcher.

This project would be led by [[User:Kelson|Kelson]] and executed by the company [http://yeleman.com/ Yeleman] which has a long experience with Kiwix code base:

* Kelson is the creator ans still lead developer of Kiwix. Working in Zurich, Switzerland, he has been developing offline solution since 7 years.

* Yeleman is a Malian software company based in Bamako. Yeleman at the beginning has created Moulinwiki an offline solution to spread Wikipedia, pretty similar to Kiwix. Yeleman works now on Kiwix. As a particular achievement, Yeleman has for example successfully done the Kiwix "[http://www.kiwix.org/index.php/Black%26White_Project Black&White project]" (Project granted by WMCH last year).