W. Chris Shank on 27 May 2008 18:41:16 -0700


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


is there something special about this which precludes you from using m0n0wall or pfsense? this is a router right?


----- Original Message -----
From: "Eirikur Hallgrimsson" <eh@mad.scientist.com>
To: "Philadelphia Linux User's Group Discussion List" <plug@lists.phillylinux.org>, "eirikur hallgrimsson" <eirikur.hallgrimsson@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 4:33:29 PM (GMT-0500) America/New_York
Subject: [PLUG] Need to build a web gui for a router box--possible contract job opportunity.

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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--
-- 
W. Chris Shank 
ACE Technology Group 
www.myRemoteITdept.com 
 

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