[PLUG] Need to build a web gui for a router box--possible contract job opportunity.

[Eirikur Hallgrimsson <eh@mad.scientist.com>]

The good news is that the hardware is a Stratus dual server, which is to 
say a powerful box with a reasonable amount of physical memory.   OS is 
a recent Red Hat with paid support.

The product is about as complex as one of the better home router/gateway 
boxes.   That's the size/complexity of the GUI that we need.  Today it's
four tabs at the top level.

The bad news is that I took over this project from a person who left the 
company and everything I've found out about his implementation is that 
it's just a GUI shell that doesn't do anything. It's 
Python/GTK/Glade--right up my alley, really, I love the tools but my 
conscience requires me to advise my employer that there is so little 
actual code written that considering other approaches at this point is 
mandatory.

Future versions of this router will be appliances with no screen or 
keyboard, so staying with the X/GTK approach looks broken to me even for 
the beta / V1.0.  I know of no way to map GTK/GLADE into a web app--do 
you???

The only technology that I know of that would let us build this thing 
*quickly* with a built-in web app that functions as the GUI is Ruby on 
Rails.  I've hacked the Rails source to fix a problem, but I've only 
made trivial web pages with it.  I'm not the guy to hit the ground 
running confidently toward a great-looking configuration GUI using 
Rails.  I'm thinking Ajax, etc, but I'm not really a web guy.

If it weren't for the time pressure--the GUI is now on the critical 
path, I could do this, in Rails, but I'm not convinced Rails is the way 
to go.

What else should we be looking at besides Rails?

If you are a Rails guru and this sounds like a piece of cake, I'll pass 
your resume along--the employment would be for the project duration and 
probably a job shop that my employer uses today.

The same goes for any well-established competing technology--if you 
could do this for us, send me a resume.

Eirikur Hallgrimsson
eh@mad.scientist.com

Attachment:  The boss's version of my list of applicant requirements.

  We’ve developed an application to perform certain tasks, but it’s all 
command-line driven (and not very user-friendly). We’re looking to 
create a web-based interface and we’re now in need of someone proficient 
in Ruby on Rails. Our developer listed the following criteria:

- Someone who can really program in Ruby beyond the minimum amount 
needed for simple, static web sites. (Not just a person who read a Rails 
book or two)

- Ability to design the database schema and program a fair amount of 
logic will be required.

- Experience with JavaScript and Ajax.

- Knowledge of Rails weak spots.

- Experience in securing a Rails application.

- A list of sites (portfolio) would be preferred.

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