@setfilename tasks.info
@settitle GNU Task List
@c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
-@set lastupdate December 25, 1998
+@set lastupdate October 11, 2000
@c %**end of header
@setchapternewpage off
@top GNU Task List
This file is updated automatically from @file{tasks.texi}, which was
-last updated on @value{lastupdate}.
+last updated on @value{lastupdate}. See also
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/help/help.html#helpgnu} for other suggested
+tasks.
@end ifinfo
@menu
-* Intro::
-* Highest Priority::
-* Documentation::
-* Unix-Related Projects::
-* Kernel Projects::
-* Extensions::
-* X Windows Projects::
-* Encryption Projects::
-* Other Projects::
-* Languages::
-* Games and Recreations::
+* Intro::
+* Highest Priority::
+* Documentation::
+* Unix-Related Projects::
+* Kernel Projects::
+* Extensions::
+* X Windows Projects::
+* Network Projects::
+* Encryption Projects::
+* Other Projects::
+* Languages::
+* Games and Recreations::
@end menu
-@node Intro
+@node Intro, Highest Priority, Top, Top
@chapter About the GNU Task List
If you did not obtain this file directly from the GNU project and
appreciate it very much, if they use it; but even when they benefit from
a performance improvement, they may not consider it very important.
-@node Highest Priority
+Finally, if you think of an important job that free software cannot
+solve yet that is typically solved by proprietary software, please send
+a short description of that job to @email{tasks@@gnu.org} so that we can
+add it to this task list.
+
+@node Highest Priority, Documentation, Intro, Top
@chapter Highest Priority
This task list mentions a large number of tasks that would be more or
high priority projects.
@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+A new maintainer is needed for Goose
+@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/goose/goose.html}.
+
@item
If you are good at writing documentation, please do that.
@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/tasks/tasks.hurd}, via anonymous FTP.
@item
-@email{gnu@@gnu.org} via e-mail.
+@email{gvc@@gnu.org} via e-mail.
@end itemize
at the URL @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/guile.html}
and then contact the Guile developers at @email{guile@@gnu.org}.
+@item
+Improve the facilities for translating other languages into Scheme,
+so that Guile can provide support for a variety of languages.
+
@item
A package to convert programs written using MS Access into Scheme,
making use of a free data base system and the GTK toolkit.
+@ignore
@item
Help develop XmHTML. See @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~ripley/XmHTML/}.
+@end ignore
@item
Help develop software to emulate Windows NT on top of GNU systems.
For example, you could help work on Willows Twin.
See @uref{http://www.willows.com/}.
+@item
+Add gettext support to GNU programs that don't have it already. (Please
+contact the developers of the specific packages that you want to work
+on.)
+
+@ignore The Kermit developers say they will provide a free program
+to do this.
@item
Implement the Kermit data transfer protocol. (See below.)
+@end ignore
@ignore This is being done (Harmony)
@item
and which has no comparable free equivalent now.
@end itemize
-@node Documentation
+@node Documentation, Unix-Related Projects, Highest Priority, Top
@chapter Documentation
We very urgently need documentation for many existing parts of the
We do not recommend any non-free materials as documentation.
@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A manual for libstdc++.
+
@item
A unified manual for La@TeX{}. (Existing documentation is non-free.)
@item
-A tutorial introduction to Midnight Commander.
+A manual for Docbook SGML format.
@item
-A manual for GNU SQL.
+A tutorial introduction to Midnight Commander.
@item
A thorough manual for RCS.
@item
A manual for writing Hurd servers.
+@item
+A manual for GNU sed.
+
@item
Reference manuals for C++, Objective C, Pascal, Fortran 77, and Java.
@item
A tutorial manual for the C++ STL (standard template library).
+@item
+A tutorial manual for Gforth.
+
@item
GNU Objective-C Runtime Library Manual; this would be a reference manual
for the runtime library functions, structures, and classes. Some work
reference documentation can be used as a starting point, but work is
needed to weld them together into a coherent manual.
+@ignore
+@c Bradley Kuhn is working on this. <bkuhn@ebb.org>
@item
A good free Perl language tutorial introduction. The existing Perl
introductions are published with restrictions on copying and
modification, so that they cannot be part of a GNU system.
+@end ignore
@item
A manual for PIC (the graphics formatting language).
Compiler, Make, Texinfo, Termcap, and maybe the C Library.
@item
-Many utilities need documentation, including @code{grep} and others.
+Many utilities still need documentation.
@end itemize
-@node Unix-Related Projects
+@node Unix-Related Projects, Kernel Projects, Documentation, Top
@chapter Unix-Related Projects
@itemize @bullet
@code{bc}.
@end ignore
-@item
-A @code{grap} preprocessor program for @code{troff}.
-
@item
Less urgent: make a replacement for the ``writer's workbench'' program
@code{style}, or something to do the same kind of job. Compatibility
-with Unix is not especially important for this programs.
+with Unix is not especially important for this program.
+
+@item
+Rewrite @code{indent} from scratch to make it cleaner.
+
+@item
+Write a free software replacement for the @code{agrep} program.
+
@end itemize
-@node Kernel Projects
+@node Kernel Projects, Extensions, Unix-Related Projects, Top
@chapter Kernel-Related Projects
@itemize @bullet
@item
An implementation of CIFS, the ``Common Internet File System,'' for the
HURD. This protocol is an offshoot of SMB.
+
+@item
+Support (in Linux?) for dumping the non-textual contents of an SVGA
+console.
@end itemize
-@node Extensions
+@node Extensions, X Windows Projects, Kernel Projects, Top
@chapter Extensions to Existing GNU Software
@itemize @bullet
@item
An @code{nroff} macro package to simplify @code{texi2roff}.
-@item
-An implementation of XML (see @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/}).
-
@item
A queueing system for the mailer Smail that groups pending work by
destination rather than by original message. This makes it possible
to schedule retries coherently for each destination. Talk to
-@email{tron@@veritas.com} about this.
-
-Smail also needs a new chief maintainer.
+@email{tron@@veritas.com} and @email{woods@@weird.com} about this.
@item
Enhanced cross-reference browsing tools. (We now have something at
@code{ctrace}. (Some people are now working on this project.)
@end itemize
-@node X Windows Projects
+@node X Windows Projects, Network Projects, Extensions, Top
@chapter X Windows Projects
@itemize @bullet
An emulator for Macintosh graphics calls on top of X Windows.
@item
-A package that emulates the API of Visual C++, but operates on top of
-X11. It need not match the screen appearance of Visual C++. Instead,
-it would be best to use GTK, so as to give coherence with GNOME.
+A package that emulates the API of Visual C++'s Foundation Classes
+(MFC), but operates on top of X11. It need not match the screen
+appearance provided by MFC. Instead, it would be best to use GTK, so as
+to give coherence with GNOME.
+
+@ignore
+@c GNOME Basic is doing this
@item
A compatible replacement for Visual Basic, running on top of X11.
It need not match the screen appearance of Visual C++. Instead,
it would be best to use GTK, so as to give coherence with GNOME.
+@end ignore
+@ignore
+@c Denemo is doing this.
@item
A music playing and editing system. This should work with LilyPond, a
GNU program for music typesetting.
+@end ignore
-@item
-An ear-training program for students of music.
-
+@ignore @c GNUskies should do this
@item
An ephemeris program to replace xephem (which is, alas, too restricted
to qualify as free software).
+@end ignore
+
+@c Gepetto (@url{http://laurent.riesterer.free.fr/gepetto/intro-main.html},
+@c @email{laurent.riesterer@@free.fr}), according to @email{gnueval@@gnu.org},
+@c does the job of displaing dancers but does not allow editing notation.
@item
A program to edit dance notation (such as labanotation) and display
-dancers moving on the screen.
+dancers moving on the screen. Gepetto done some of this work. Contact
+@email{gvc@@gnu.org} if you are interested in helping finish the job.
@item
Make sure the Vibrant toolkit works with LessTif instead of Motif.
@item
A program to display and edit Hypercard stacks.
+@item
+A two-dimensional outliner program, which lets you draw
+graph structures of textual items, and then display them
+in various ways.
+
+@ignore @c done
@item
A program for graphic morphing of scanned photographs.
+@end ignore
@item
Software for designing and printing business cards.
@end itemize
-@node Encryption Projects
+@node Network Projects, Encryption Projects, X Windows Projects, Top
+@chapter Network Projects
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@ignore
+@c www.openh323.org is doing this. Craig Southeren <craigs@equival.com.au>
+@item
+A teleconferencing program which does the job of CU-SeeMe (which is,
+alas, not free software).
+@end ignore
+
+@ignore
+@c Bishop Bettini <bishop@synxcti.com> is working on this.
+@item
+A free ICQ-compatible server program. (The ICQ server itself is not
+free software.)
+@end ignore
+
+@end itemize
+
+@node Encryption Projects, Other Projects, Network Projects, Top
@chapter Encryption Projects
These projects need to be written outside the US by people who are not
@itemize @bullet
@item
-A free library for public-key encryption.
-
-This library should use the Diffie-Helman algorithm for public key
-encryption, not the RSA algorithm, because the Diffie-Helman patent in
-the US expired in 1997. This library can probably be developed from
-the code for the GNU Privacy Guard (now in development).
-
+A free library for public-key encryption. This library can probably be
+developed from the code for the GNU Privacy Guard.
+
@item
-An implementation of SSLv3 (more precisely, TLSv1) which is patent-free
-(uses the non-RSA algorithms) and has distribution terms compatible with
-the GNU GPL. We know of a GPL-covered implemention of a version of SSL
-that you can use as a starting point.
+An implementation of SSLv3 (more precisely, TLSv1) which has
+distribution terms compatible with the GNU GPL. We know of a
+GPL-covered implemention of a version of SSL that you can use as a
+starting point.
@item
Free software for doing secure commercial transactions on the web.
This too needs public key encryption.
@end itemize
-The projects to provide free replacements for PGP and SSH are no longer
-listed here, because projects to do those jobs are well under way.
-
-@node Other Projects
+@node Other Projects, Languages, Encryption Projects, Top
@chapter Other Projects
If you think of others that should be added, please
-send them to @email{gnu@@gnu.org}.
+send them to @email{tasks@@gnu.org}.
@itemize @bullet
+@ignore OpenBIOS is doing this
@item
A simple PC BIOS. On most new PCs, the BIOS is stored in writable
memory (misleadingly known as ``flash ROM''). In order to have a wholly
diagnostics that an ordinary BIOS does (though it would be useful to do
some of them). However, there may be a need to configure certain data
in the computer in a way that is specific to each model of computer.
-
-@item
-A free program that can transfer files on a serial line
-using the same protocol that Kermit uses.
+@end ignore
@item
An imitation of Page Maker or Ventura Publisher.
@item
-An imitation of @code{dbase2} or @code{dbase3} (How dbased!)
+An imitation of @code{dbase2} or @code{dbase3}. (How dbased!)
+Harbour, a free replacement for Clipper, would provide a useful start.
+@uref{http://www.harbour-project.org/}.
+@ignore @c being done by Jonas etc.
@item
A general ledger program, including support for accounts payable,
account receivables, payroll, inventory control, order processing, etc.
-
-@item
-A teleconferencing program which does the job of CU-SeeMe (which is,
-alas, not free software).
-
-@item
-A free ICQ-compatible server program. (The ICQ server itself is not
-free software.)
+@end ignore
@item
A free replacement for Glimpse, which is not free software.
-@item
-Software for making "slide" presentations. It need not be compatible
-with the popular proprietary software to do this job, but it should do
-the same job.
-
@item
Software for desktop publishing. We are extending Emacs into a WYSIWYG
word processor, to handle primarily linear text; what this item proposes
is software focused on page layout.
+@ignore It looks like TruePrint will fill this gap
@item
A program to typeset C code for printing, to make it easier to read on
paper. For ideas on what to do, see the book,
@end display
But you don't have to do exactly what they propose.
-
-@item
-A program to reformat HTML source to make it easier to read as HTML.
+@end ignore
@ignore
@c This is now being worked on -- rms, 22 June 1998
A free replacement for the semi-free Qt library.
@end ignore
+@ignore
+@c Ogg Vorbis is doing this, see @url{http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/index.html} or contact @email{Monty <monty@xiph.org>}.
+
@item
High-quality music compression software.
-(Talk with @email{phr@@netcom.com} for relevant suggestions.)
+(Talk with @email{mt@@sulaco.org} for relevant suggestions.)
+Unfortunately we cannot implement the popular MP3 format
+due to patents, so this job includes working out some other
+non-patented format and compression method.
+@end ignore
@item
A program to play sound distributed in ``Real Audio'' format.
@item
An MPEG III audio encoder/decoder (but it is necessary to check, first,
whether patents make this impossible).
-@end ignore
+@c Chris Hofstader is working on a non-Festival speech-generation program.
+@c Mario Lang <lang@zid.tu-graz.ac.at> reports that Festival needs only
+@c to be 2-5 times faster to work well with Emacspeak.
@item
-Speech-generation programs (there is a program from Brown U that you
-could improve).
+Speech-generation programs that are faster than the Festival engine.
+This might be done by optimizing Festival.
+@c We have a project now.
@item
Speech-recognition programs (single-speaker, disconnected speech is sufficient).
+@end ignore
+
+@item
+A braille translation and formatting system which can convert marked up
+documents into braille. This should let the user customize the braille
+translation rules; it would be good to divide it into a
+device-independent part plus drivers. Contact Jason White,
+@email{jasonw@@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU}.
@ignore Being done
@item
More scientific mathematical subroutines.
(A clone of SPSS is being written already.)
-@item
-Statistical tools.
-
@item
A scientific data collection and processing tool,
perhaps something like Scientific Workbench and/or Khoros,
@item
-Software to replace card catalogues in libraries.
+A program to calculate properties of molecules by solving
+the Schroedinger equation.
+
+@item
+Software to replace card catalogs in libraries.
+
+@item
+A simulator for heating and air conditioning systems for buildings.
+
+@ignore
+@c Pat Deegan @email{pat@@psychogenic.com} is working on this.
+@c no URL yet, the status is updated in @file{volunteers}
+
+@item
+A program for voting and tabulating election results.
+
+@end ignore
@item
A package for editing genealogical records conveniently.
This could perhaps be done as a Gnome program, or perhaps
-as an Emacs extentsion.
+as an Emacs extension.
+
+@ignore
+@c ToutDoux aims to do this.
@item
A project-scheduling package that accepts a list of project sub-tasks
with their interdependencies, and generates Gantt charts and Pert charts
and all the other standard project progress reports.
+@end ignore
@item
Grammar and style checking programs.
@item
-A program to calculate nutritional information from recipes.
-
-There is a free (unambiguously public domain) database of nutritional
-information compiled by the USDA at
-@url{http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp}.
-
-@item
-A fast emulator for the i386 which works by translating
-machine instructions into the machine language of the host machine.
-(Support for emulation of other machines would enhance the program
-but might make it much more difficult.)
-
-@item
-A map display or geographic information system.
+A diagnostic program to test a hard disk.
@item
Optical character recognition programs; especially if suitable for
scanning documents with multiple fonts and capturing font info as well
as character codes. Work is being done on this, but more help is needed.
+@c Some of the OCR work being done:
+@c Luis Cearra <luisjc@lem.eui.upm.es>, http://lem.eui.upm.es/ocre.html
+@c The status of these projects is updated in @file{/gd/gnuorg/volunteers}
+
@item
A program to scan a line drawing and convert it to Postscript.
@item
A program to recognize handwriting.
+@item
+A program that can translate from one natural language, into another.
+For example, a program to translate French into English.
+
@item
A pen based interface.
@item
A program to receive data from a serial-line tap to facilitate the
reverse-engineering of communication protocols.
+
+@item
+A database program designed to store and retrieve patent information.
+
+@item
+A free software package to run on a Palm Pilot in place of its usual
+software, doing more or less the usual jobs. (Linux, the kernel, has
+apparently been ported, but according to what we hear this port is not
+useful yet.)
+
@end itemize
-@node Languages
+@node Languages, Games and Recreations, Other Projects, Top
@chapter Programming Languages
Volunteers are needed to write parsers/front ends for languages such as
-Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, Cobol, Fortran 90, or whatever, to be
-used with the code generation phases of the GNU C compiler.
+Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, Cobol, Fortran 90, Delphi, Modula 2, Modula 3,
+RPG, and any other languages designed for compilation, to be used with
+the code generation phases of the GNU C compiler.
@c Fortran status is here so gnu@gnu.org and the volunteer coordinators
@c don't have to answer the question -len
We would like to have translators from various languages into Scheme.
These languages include TCL, Python, Perl, Java, Javascript, and Rexx.
+Perhaps Clipper as well.
-We would like to have an implementation of Clipper, perhaps a GCC front
-end, and perhaps a translator into Scheme.
-
-@node Games and Recreations
+@node Games and Recreations, , Languages, Top
@chapter Games and Recreations
Video-oriented games that work with the X window system.
A Hierarchical Task Network package which can be used
to program play the computer's side in various strategic games.
+@item
+A game like Mill/Nine Men's Morris.
+
@item
Write imitations of some popular video games:
@item
Biomorph evolution (as in Scientific American and @cite{The Blind
Watchmaker}).
-@item
-A program to display effects of moving at relativistic speeds.
@end itemize
@end itemize
@contents
@bye
+@c LocalWords: dir texi lastupdate uref http www org html helpgnu ifinfo ftp
+@c LocalWords: dvi hurd toc gvc URL GTK XmHTML xs nl ripley NT com gettext Qt
+@c LocalWords: GUI libstdc Docbook SGML libc sed STL Gforth GNUstep TCSH Perl
+@c LocalWords: Ghostscript PIC GCC Texinfo grep dc bc ethernet GDB IP CIFS CU
+@c LocalWords: SMB SVGA Khoros Automake OpenStep diff roff Smail tron veritas
+@c LocalWords: cxref ctrace API LilyPond xephem labanotation LessTif outliner
+@c LocalWords: Hypercard morphing SeeMe ICQ Diffie Helman RSA SSLv TLSv GPL
+@c LocalWords: OpenBIOS BIOS LILO dbase dbased Harbour harbour WYSIWYG ISBN
+@c LocalWords: TruePrint Baecker siff sif cs arizona edu TR ps mt sulaco MP
+@c LocalWords: RTSP MPEG jasonw ariel ucs unimelb AU stutz dsl TCL Javascript
+@c LocalWords: Rexx GnuGo jhall isd Biomorph regexp eval gd gnuorg
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