[Xastir] Xastir 2.0 (next-gen?)

[Craig Anderson]

Hi all,
	I haven't heard much discussion on the plans for Xastir 2.0, or the next-gen Xastir.  What I remember hearing was a much more heavy-weight GIS-style system complete with a Postgress database backend.  I have a few comments on this, but if the plans have changed you can disregard my ramblings, or clue me in.

I have changed my perspective on the advisability of a more heavy-weight system with a database backend.  I think this would be a mistake because I don't think it would be improving the overall complexity level from the existing Xastir software mess, with it's problems of tracking so many disparate software packages.  There would still be too many packages with too much complexity, just different boundaries between packages.  I think an embedded sqllite system would improve complexity.

I don't have a problem borrowing code from other packages, but I would suggest importing those packages into the Xastir code base and selectively updating them from the original.  I think this would cut down on a lot of thrashing due to extraneous code changes by other groups.

What I'm hoping for is a single binary program image that can be distributed easily and run simply.  No complex installation with multiple packages to find, with the right versions, and install in the right order.  I would also like to see everything related to Xastir be installed in one directory tree and not splattered across the filesystem tree (user config files notwithstanding).  This would allow a common installation to be run on multiple machines from a network mounted filesystem.  And the installation or upgrade process could be as simple as copying the directory tree.

Comments?   Flames?  Clues?
Craig