1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @setfilename tasks.info
4 @settitle GNU Task List
5 @c UPDATE THIS DATE WHENEVER YOU MAKE CHANGES!
6 @set lastupdate 26 August 1996
13 @author Free Software Foundation
14 @author last updated @value{lastupdate}
18 @node Top, Preface, (dir), (dir)
21 This file is updated automatically from @file{tasks.texi}, which was
22 last updated on @value{lastupdate}.
28 * Unix-Related Projects::
31 * X Windows Projects::
34 * Games and Recreations::
37 @node Preface, Documentation, Top, Top
38 @chapter About the GNU Task List
40 Check with @code{gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu}, for a possibly more current
41 copy. You can also ftp it from a GNU FTP host in directory
42 @file{/pub/gnu/tasks} - These files in different formats are available:
43 @file{tasks.text}, @file{tasks.texi}, @file{tasks.info}, and
44 @file{tasks.dvi}. It is also available on the GNU World Wide Web
45 server: @file{http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu}.
47 If you start working steadily on a project, please let @code{gnu@@prep}
48 know. We might have information that could help you; we'd also like to
49 send you the GNU coding standards.
51 Because of the natural tendency for most volunteers to write programming
52 tools or programming languages, we have a comparative shortage of
53 applications useful for non-programmer users. Therefore, we ask you to
54 consider writing such a program.
56 In general, a new program that does a completely new job advances the
57 GNU project more than an improvement to an existing program.
60 @chapter Documentation
62 We very urgently need documentation for some parts of the system
63 that already exist or will exist very soon:
67 Completion of the documentation for CC-mode, a new Emacs mode for
68 C, C++ and other languages.
71 A C reference manual. (RMS made a try at one, which you could start
75 A manual for Ghostscript.
82 A manual for PIC (the graphics formatting language).
88 A book on how GCC works and why various machine descriptions
89 are written as they are.
92 A manual for programming X-window applications.
95 Manuals for various X window managers.
98 Reference cards for those manuals that don't have them: C
99 Compiler, Make, Texinfo, Termcap, and maybe the C Library.
102 Many utilities need documentation, including @code{grep} and others.
105 @node Unix-Related Projects
106 @chapter Unix-Related Projects
110 We could use an emulation of Unix @code{spell}, which would run by
111 invoking @code{ispell}.
114 An improved version of the POSIX utility @code{pax}. There is one on
115 Usenet, but it is said to be poorly written. Talk with
116 @code{mib@@gnu.ai.mit.edu} about this project.
120 Modify the GNU @code{dc} program to use the math routines of GNU
125 A @code{grap} preprocessor program for @code{troff}.
128 Various other libraries.
131 An emulation of SCCS that works using RCS.
134 A free version of @code{units}---or some other kind of program to do the
135 same job in a more modern way.
138 Less urgent: @code{diction}, @code{explain}, and @code{style}, or
139 something to do the same kind of job. Compatibility with Unix is not
140 especially important for these programs.
143 @node Kernel Projects
144 @chapter Kernel-Related Projects
148 An over-the-ethernet debugger stub that will allow the kernel to be
149 debugged from GDB running on another machine.
151 This stub needs its own self-contained implementation of all protocols
152 to be used, since the GNU system will use user processes to implement
153 all but the lowest levels, and the stub won't be able to use those
154 processes. If a simple self-contained implementation of IP and TCP is
155 impractical, it might be necessary to design a new, simple protocol
156 based directly on ethernet. It's not crucial to support high speed or
157 communicating across gateways.
159 It might be possible to use the Mach ethernet driver code, but it would
163 A shared memory X11 server to run under MACH is very desirable. The
164 machine specific parts should be kept well separated.
167 An implementation of CIFS, the ``Common Internet File System,'' for the
168 HURD. This protocol is an offshoot of SMB.
172 @chapter Extensions to Existing GNU Software
176 Enhance GCC. See files @file{PROJECTS} and @file{PROBLEMS} in the GCC
180 GNU @code{sed} probably needs to be rewritten completely just to make it
184 Work on the partially-implemented C interpreter project.
187 Help with the development of GNUStep, a GNU implementation of the
188 OpenStep specification.
191 Add features to GNU Make to record the precise rule with which each file
192 was last recompiled; then recompile any file if its rule in the makefile
196 Add a few features to GNU @code{diff}, such as handling large input
197 files without reading entire files into core.
200 An @code{nroff} macro package to simplify @code{texi2roff}.
203 A queueing system for the mailer Smail that groups pending work by
204 destination rather than by original message. This makes it possible
205 to schedule retries coherently for each destination. Talk to
206 @code{tron@@veritas.com} about this.
208 Smail also needs a new chief maintainer.
211 Enhanced cross-reference browsing tools. (We now have something at
212 about the level of @code{cxref}.) We also could use something like
213 @code{ctrace}. (Some people are now working on this project.)
216 @node X Windows Projects
217 @chapter X Windows Projects
221 An emulator for Macintosh graphics calls on top of X Windows.
224 A music playing and editing system.
227 A program to edit dance notation (such as labanotation) and display
228 dancers moving on the screen.
231 Port the Vibrant toolkit to work on X without using Motif.
234 A program to display and edit Hypercard stacks.
237 A paint program, supporting both bitmap-oriented operations and
238 component-oriented operations. @code{xpaint} exists, but isn't very
242 An interactive 3D modeling utility with rendering/raytracing capabilities.
245 A program for graphic morphing of scanned photographs.
249 @chapter Other Projects
251 If you think of others that should be added, please
252 send them to @code{gnu@@prep.ai.mit.edu}.
256 A free program for public-key encryption.
258 This program should use the Diffie-Helman algorithm for public key
259 encryption, not the RSA algorithm, because the Diffie-Helman patent in
260 the US will expire in 1997. It should use triple-DES, not IDEA, for
261 block encryption because IDEA is patented in many countries and the
262 patents will not expire soon. In other respects, it should be like PGP.
264 This program needs to be written by someone who is not a US citizen,
265 outside the US, to avoid problems with US export control law.
267 Many people believe that PGP is free software, but that is not actually
268 true. The distribution terms set by the copyright holders do not allow
269 everyone to use and redistribute it.
272 A program to convert compiled programs represented in OSF ANDF
273 (``Architecture Neutral Distribution Format'') into ANSI C.
276 An imitation of Page Maker or Ventura Publisher.
279 An imitation of @code{dbase2} or @code{dbase3} (How dbased!)
282 A program to reformat Fortran programs in a way that is pretty.
285 A bulletin board system. There are a few free ones, but they don't have
286 all the features that people want in such systems. It would make sense
287 to start with an existing one and add the other features.
290 A general ledger program, including support for accounts payable,
291 account receivables, payroll, inventory control, order processing, etc.
294 A teleconferencing program which does the job of CU-SeeMe (which is,
295 alas, not free software).
298 A program to typeset C code for printing.
299 For ideas on what to do, see the book,
302 Human Factors and Typography for More Readable Programs,
303 Ronald M. Baecker and Aaron Marcus,
304 Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-10745-7
307 (I don't quite agree with a few of the details they propose.)
310 Speech-generation programs (there is a program from Brown U that you
314 Speech-recognition programs (single-speaker, disconnected speech is sufficient).
317 A program to play sound distributed in ``Real Audio'' format.
320 A program to generate ``Real Audio'' format from audio input.
323 Scientific mathematical subroutines, including clones of SPSS.
329 Software to replace card catalogues in libraries.
332 Grammar and style checking programs.
335 An implementation of the S language (an interpreted language used for
339 A translator from Scheme to C.
342 Optical character recognition programs; especially if suitable for
343 scanning documents with multiple fonts and capturing font info as well
344 as character codes. Work is being done on this, but more help is needed.
347 A program to scan a line drawing and convert it to Postscript.
350 A program to recognize handwriting.
353 A pen based interface.
356 CAD software, such as a vague imitation of Autocad.
359 Software for comparing DNA sequences, and finding matches and
364 @chapter Compilers for Other Batch Languages
366 Volunteers are needed to write parsers/front ends for languages such as
367 Algol 60, Algol 68, PL/I, Cobol, Fortran 90, or whatever, to be used
368 with the code generation phases of the GNU C compiler. (C, C++, and
369 Objective-C are done; Fortran 77 is mostly done; Ada, Pascal, and Java
370 are being worked on.)
372 @c Fortran status is here so gnu@prep and the volunteer coordinators
373 @c don't have to answer the question -len
374 You can get the status of the Fortran front end with this command:
377 finger -l fortran@@gnu.ai.mit.edu
380 @node Games and Recreations
381 @chapter Games and Recreations
383 Video-oriented games that work with the X window system.
387 A Doom-compatible display game engine, for running the many free
388 levels people have written for Doom.
391 Empire (there is a free version but it needs upgrading)
394 An ``empire builder'' system that makes it easy to write various kinds of
398 Improve GnuGo, which is not yet very sophisticated.
401 Imitations of popular video games:
405 Space war, Asteroids, Pong, Columns.
407 Defending cities from missiles.
409 Plane shoots at lots of other planes, tanks, etc.
411 Wizard fights fanciful monster.
415 Program a robot by sticking building blocks together,
416 then watch it explore a world.
418 Biomorph evolution (as in Scientific American).
420 A program to display effects of moving at relativistic speeds.
424 Intriguing screen-saver programs to make interesting pictures.
425 Other such programs that are simply entertaining to watch.
426 For example, an aquarium.
429 We do not need @code{rogue}, as we have @code{hack}.