As we communicated in this week’s [Dev Update] (MaidSafe Dev Update :safe: 23rd February 2016)
Today we are releasing two binaries the SAFE Launcher and the SAFE Demonstration Application which demonstrates key features of the SAFE Network. As keen followers of the updates are aware, this is the first stage of a series of rolling releases. In this initial stage users of the SAFE Network will not run a Vault locally, rather MaidSafe has set-up a test network consisting of initially 50 nodes, which the SAFE Launcher and the SAFE demonstration application will connect to.
##Overview
It’s time to set up your anonymous ID’s and test what we believe is the world’s first autonomous network that allows you to log in and store/retrieve private data without any intermediaries involved. We are not releasing the vaults this week, instead we have set up nodes on Digital Ocean to support the testing. We are keen for folks to see, not that the code is finished or polished, but the theories, inventions and discoveries work.
The good news is that as they do so we (and the ants!) march on. Change of this code is now much simpler, getting a network to test against is a massive hurdle and we have now crossed that chasm. It’s great to have you all with us. It’s gonna be a bumpy but enjoyable ride. First things first lets see the basics work.
Note: You can flood this testnet and load a ton of data to try and kill it, but this is not the stage we are at. We want to test light valid usage to start with. Please do keep that in mind as we roll out. We will want to try attacks soon enough, not immediately though.
##Purpose
The purpose of this early release of a test is to allow us to land something. This initial release is a test release of some binaries, not a full formal release with installers. Instead this is to get more folks involved in critical issues, like UI testing, application building, API confirmation and documentation. Many folks may say this is too early as we have literally just pulled all the components together. We know we have to test uTP integration, it looks good but we commented it out at the last minute as it requires a bit more refinement. This is straight out of the workshop folks, so test with us and fully expect bugs, we do!
We are more concerned with inclusiveness here than polish and this is exactly what the community would expect, we believe. The cry is more “all hands to testing stations” than “here is a release”, so please help with the message here as we want to ensure expectations are clear and firm. That allows steady progress with larger and larger teams.
We will be implementing and encouraging use of our JIRA Service Desk and GitHub issue trackers for more technical issues. These will get “all eyes on” as we release, slowly and surely.
##Release Cycle
We will attempt to formalise the release cycles with the usual updates to the forum. The anticipation is that initially we may see some very fast updates that require no resetting of the network and larger updates which will require a restart. The anticipated release cycle will likely be fortnightly and maybe more frequently to start with. This is not release 1, but a pre-release to get things moving. Future (and relatively imminent) iterations will include installers and documentation to allow the community to see first hand what we will deliver to the wider world.
##TODO Items
This is a list of some of the work to be done in the next weeks as we move forward. This is not exhaustive, but we will update weekly with progress and of course we appreciate any community involvement. There has been some amazing input so far and it’s time to pull it all together. We will do that as a priority.
- Integrate uTP and hole punching in Crust
- Refactor Crust internals using a pattern closer to the hardware
- Profile all libs
- Set up continuous deployment
- Test installers and uninstall procedures
- Confirm help desk and support channels
- Complete API documentation
- Further demo applications (lots)
- Integrate safecoin at client side (API plus wallet)
- Test safecoin farming rate in test network.
- … much more, to be announced in updates as we progress.
##Get Started
We have created documentation that covers downloading, setting up and using these applications.
How to download and install SAFE Launcher
Using SAFE Launcher
How to download and install the SAFE Demo App
Using the SAFE Demo App
##Where should I report issues?
We have set-up a JIRA Customer Support project which for just now we have kept simple to capture initial issues, provide technical help…etc… Using this channel will help us out a lot as we will be able to see issues, then manage and prioritise work through our existing JIRA Core system with a view to resolving them quickly.
