RE: [XaraXtreme-dev] Xara finally dead?

["Charles Moir" <CharlesM@xxxxxxxx>]

Xara is alive and well. The Open Source XaraLX project on the other hand
does not look so healthy.

Xara cannot provide the last part of the source code (we have new
owners), so the project has an element that the last 10% remains closed
source for now.  But we've said we'd be willing to support the
replacement of that last part to use Cairo (coincidentally something
that Inkscape are trying to do as well), and were that done then XaraLX
could be 100% FOSS.

And of course we still have the website up and accept submissions as
always and will update the product if that happens. We do provide the
free binary part, so the product is operational, and we know there are
regular users of the product, so it's certainly got the point that it's
a useful product.

But our guys are now focussed on new commercial versions.  We've toyed
with the idea, and remain open that we might create a commercial version
for Linux as well, as that could be one way out of the current
situation. The Mac version is being developed as a commercial product.

But I agree with the other posters. If you're concerned about the state
of affairs - do something about it, instead of simply ranting about 'how
Xara never intended to do this or that'. (As if we would just willingly
spend 18 months, very large amount of time and money, and give away 90%
of the source code for no reason)

It's easy to talk, to complain, it means nothing and contributes
nothing. It does however reflect a certain stereotype of open source
wingers. Real open source supporters are those that achieve things. They
act instead of talk. Contribute rather than complain.

We've done all the contributing we can for now. It's a huge and
significant contribution, in time, money and code. Sure it's not
complete, but if people really cared about it, they'd do something about
it. (And I've already said it's a lot easier to convert Xara LX use
Cairo than it is to convert Inkscape to use Cairo).

The ball is no longer is our court.  XaraLX is as dead or as alive as
the community of supporters want it to be.

Charles
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:owner-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Philipp Schmieder
> Sent: 23 August 2007 00:26
> To: dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [XaraXtreme-dev] Xara finally dead?
> 
> It's been nearly two months since the last piece of code has 
> been committed to Xara's SVN.
> So I wonder whether XaraXtreme for Linux is has finally come 
> to an end, is finally a dead project?
> It's quite sad because I always loved it and now will have to 
> search an alternative which I am sure won't meet my high 
> expectations shaped by XaraXtreme.
>