I should like to suggest that providing a turnkey development  installation 
that would permit someone like me to compile format(1m)  and fix the SEGV 
faults would go a long way towards increasing the number of people supporting 
OI and Illumos.

I labored through inaccurate wiki documentation quite a few years ago and 
eventually was able to get a successful build.  But when I asked on the dev 
lists how to install it, I got no response.  The message seemed pretty clear, 
"Go away.  We don't want you."  I got a similar response recently  when I asked 
how powerful a system I would need to build the GUI ISO overnight.  Dead 
silence.  I'm inclined to get an off lease system with a ridiculous number of 
cores, RAM and disk, but there is no seismic work to be had.  I don't need a 
supercomputer to surf the net.

I don't know how the developers communicate, but it is certainly not on  
illumos-dev or  oi-dev.  That lack of transparency is a powerful barrier.  If a 
potential maintainer is excluded from following the discussion, they are not 
likely to contribute.  I joined the illumos-dev and oi-dev lists  expecting to 
see something I felt inclined to work on.

In my late 60's there are not the same professional incentives as when 30 
something.  I have nothing to gain from working on OI and lots of other 
interests.  But things that annoy me I am willing to fix.

I suggest either a Developer ISO or  turnkey IPS  package would be a good first 
step to increasing the number of people contributing to  OI and Illumos 
support.  There are other barriers to be lowered, but that is the single 
biggest obstacle.  Without that the number will continue to decline.

Reg

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