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Message-Id: <1354222203.2190.17@driftwood>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:50:03 -0600
From: Rob Landley <rob@...dley.net>
To: musl@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Summary of 1.0 marketing plan/scheme/nefarious plot from IRC.

Notes from the discussion we had on IRC, plus some further random  
thoughts on telling the world about musl:

- wait until 1.0 so it's most likely to works for them.
   - People who take a look and wander off again are less likely to  
take another look,
     so try to make a spash when you're _ready_, not before.
   - counter this with "rule of 7", people filter out noise and won't  
remember they've
     even heard of you until they've seen it in ~7 different places. So  
once you _ARE_
     ready, get the word out everywhere. (Politely.)

- prepare the website to covert casual browsers into long-term users.
   - press release extoling virtues
     - simple
       - realtime: less code is more deterministic
       - security: less code is easier to audit
       - students/teachers: learn how a posix system works
     - link to the online git browser for the "show me the code" guys.
     - already tested against 8 gazillion packages
     - standards compliant
     - BSD license: static linking ok, android deployment ok
     - works side by side with existing libraries, or static linked
       - easy deployment on android without bionic limitations
     - technical advantages
       - support static and dynamic linking and do _both_ well
       - thread implementation is _not_crazy_, and no legacy baggage.

   - obvious "start here" from main page.
     - Why it's cool (collate)
     - how to use it (collate)
       - HOWTO walkthrough

   - binaries they can try.
     - cross compiler, build hello world
     - livecd of full-ish x86 distro.
       - with working x11 and simple gui (xfce? fvwm?)
     - chroot for each target with native development tools
       - system images for qemu maybe?
       - launch x11 vnc server and display in tightvnc window?
     - jslinux live image on website

- distro conversions
   - leverage existing repositories, don't fall into the buildroot trap
   - approach gentoo guys about a musl build
     - #gentoo-embedded on freenode
     - maybe funtoo would be easier (Daniel Robbins' new project,  
#funtoo on freenode)
   - approach debian guys about musl debootstrap
   - arch linux, slackware, puppy, crunchbang, tinycore...
     - http://distrowatch.com/popularity
   - approach cyanogenmod guys about doing a musl-based cyanogenmod.
     - way into man's heart is through the stomach and up under the  
ribcage,
       one way into android is cyanogenmod.

- push "musl support" patches to other projects upstream all at once
   - sabotage collected a bunch?
   - people who develop on 3 other project seeing musl on all 3 lists
     makes dev community look big and active.

- Write linux from scratch "musl hint", contribute it to LFS, then link
   to it on LFS website from musl website.

- is userbase of glibc, uClibc, klibc, or dietlibc better served by  
musl?
   - contribute musl option to buildroot?
   - contribute musl option to crosstool-ng?
   - Ask mentor graphics (formly code sourcery) to do a musl toolchain?
     - LOTS of proprietary embedded devs use this one, it's  
"professional".
     - windriver.com is now a wholly owned subsidiary of intel
   - klibc guys are initramfs@...r or embedded@...r (see lists)
     - ask clibc author Peter Anvin if musl serves his needs?

- mailing lists you can post a "here's how musl can help _you_" on:
   It's not spam if you tailor a post to each list, especially if  
there's patches
   attached in the case of dash or util-linux...
   - each architecture list for arches you support (linux-arm,  
linux-ppc, etc).
     "musl is pleased to announce support for the $BLAH architecture,  
here are
      a cross compiler, chroot with native compiler, and a system image  
to play with."
     - http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/mailinglists/lists.php
     - http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/Net_Resources#Mailing_lists
     - https://lists.ozlabs.org/listinfo/linuxppc-dev
     - http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-x86_64
   - http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#dash
   - http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#initramfs
   - http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-embedded
   - http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#util-linux
   - and maybe one "OS support" message to linux-kernel.

- websites that might review musl if we ask nicely:
   - linux
     - lwn.net (submit via lwn@....net)
     - h-online (ping @codepope on twitter)
     - Linux Journal
     - Linux Today (they'll just link elsewhere)
   - android
     - not personally familiar, google for "android news" finds several.
     - works well with android kernel, installs side-by-side with  
bionic,
       static links well, doesn't introduce any new licensing issues,
       provides full posix environment, active and responsive dev  
community.
   - paper magazines
     - long shot, but if you send a press release to pc magazine and  
computerworld
       and such explaining how musl might help android bridge the gap  
between phones
       and the desktop they might write a "will android bridge the gap  
between phones
       and the desktop" article mentioning musl. :)
   - tech bloggers
     - cringely.com
   - Consumer Electronic Linux Forum
     - Tim Bird and elinux.org

- do a musl distro that runs well on raspberry pi, tell  
http://www.raspberrypi.org/

- ask people on mailing list and irc to blog/tweet about the 1.0  
release when it
   happens.

- write a syllabus for theoretical "teaching musl" one semester  
comp-sci course.

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