15
Tue, Oct
6 New Articles

TechTip: Open Source, Dipping Toes

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

If you're anything like me, you want to participate in the open-source community but don't want to screw things up. I invite you to participate in a safer side of open source.

I ended my previous open-source article with the following open-ended question:

"At the end of the day, open source means community. It means IT professionals coming together and sharing information, ideas, and code. Will you participate?"

Sometimes, knowing what to do first is the hardest part of engaging in the open-source community. It's for that reason I am going to use this article to document the entire storyline of me engaging in an open-source scenario.

I get daily updates from the LinkedIn IBM i OSS group. Being informed is the first step of being part of the IBM i open-source community. You can overcome the vast amounts of new terminology only by exposing yourself to it on a regular basis. In short, subscribe to that LinkedIn group. It also would be good to get a Twitter profile and follow the #IBMiOSS hashtag.

As I was sipping my coffee this morning, I received an email update from the LinkedIn group where Chris Hird was declaring an update to his recently released open-source project. You can see a screenshot in Figure 1.

 070816bartell figure1

Figure 1: Chris Hird announces an update to his FTPCLNT project.

I don't currently have a need for an FTP client on my IBM I, but I am intrigued to see what Chris has been working on. Being curious is a personality ingredient that's important in being part of the open-source community. I set aside a couple times a day for my curiosity to take place (otherwise, I would be curious all day long). I come into work early to review social media and my inbox to get a pulse of what's going on. I also review over lunch.

I clicked the github.com link from the LinkedIn update and was presented with the project page for the FTPCLNT GitHub page, as shown in Figure 2.

 070816bartell figure2

Figure 2: Here’s the FTPCLNT GitHub project home page.

I notice a few things out of the gates that could be enhanced. The FTPCLNT project has a README.md file but it could use some additional formatting, and the project is also missing the declaration of which license it operates under. I could stop at this point and keep my thoughts to myself, but that wouldn't help the FTPCLNT project to go further. Instead, I engage and endeavor to remedy the two things I believe should be addressed. This is my opinion, and Chris might not agree, and we'll learn whether he does at a future point in time.

So how do I engage at this point? As a first step, I want to make modifications to the README.md file so the RELICGET command is in a code block to make it easier to read. I do not have authority to edit the ChrisHird/FTPCLNT project, so I need to "fork" the repo and make the changes in my own copy. Click the "Fork" button in the upper right to make your own copy of the repository, as shown in Figure 3.

 070816bartell figure3

Figure 3: Fork a repository by clicking this icon.

Figure 4 shows the result of forking the repository. As you can see, it now has my profile in the URL path and declares where it was forked from. You can also see that it brought over the entire history (note the 30 commits).

 070816bartell figure4

Figure 4: The repository has been forked.

At this point, I could clone this repository to either my IBM i or my laptop and make the changes to the README.md, but for changes like this I usually just edit the file in GitHub. Click the edit pencil as shown in Figure 5.

 070816bartell figure5

Figure 5: Edit the README.md file.

Figure 6 shows the GitHub file editor. The .md file extension stands for Mark Down, a method of adding things like headings, code sections, bolding, links, and imagesall while using text. You can learn more about Mark Down here.

 070816bartell figure6

Figure 6: Make changes to README.md using MarkDown syntax.

As I am making my changes, I will often click the "Preview changes" tab to see how things look. Figure 7 shows the "Preview changes" tab using red to show which lines have been changed or removed and green to convey added lines.

 070816bartell figure7

Figure 7: Preview changes to see what's been added, changed, or removed.

I think this looks better and am now ready to save the changes. Saving changes is called "committing" in Git nomenclature. The commit form is below the file editor, as shown in Figure 8. The best practice is to have a succinct title. I don't often add an extended description unless it's necessary, and in this case it's not.

 070816bartell figure8

Figure 8: Commit changes to history.

After the changes are committed, you will be presented with a screen similar to Figure 9. Notice the changes were committed to my personal repository. Chris doesn't yet know about my changes. You can see the commit has a unique id of 500a6637 and both Chris and I are now seen as contributors.

 070816bartell figure9

Figure 9: Changes are committed to my personal fork.

I am now ready to share my changes with Chris so they can be included back into the parent repository. Figure 10 shows how to click on the "Pull requests" tab and then select the "New pull request" button.

 070816bartell figure10

Figure 10: Do a new pull request.

You will now be presented with a screen that compares the changes you've made in your fork to those that currently exist in the parent repository, as shown in Figure 11. Notice it declares these changes can be merged automatically because there aren't any merge conflicts. A merge conflict can exist when two people have modified the same line of a file; then a human decision needs to be made as to how the conflict should be resolved. Select the "Create pull request" button.

 070816bartell figure11

Figure 11: Create the pull request.

You will now be presented with a screen where you can make changes to the pull request subject or description, as shown in Figure 12. In this case, the defaults will be used. Selecting the "Create pull request" button will finalize this process and notify Chris that somebody has made a pull request. Chris then has the opportunity to accept or reject the changes.

 070816bartell figure12

Figure 12: Finalize the pull request.

After the pull request is submitted, you will be presented with the screen shown in Figure 13. Notice we are in project ChrisHird/FTPCLNT on the "Pull requests" tab. The world can now see this change because it is public. Others could also comment on the changes made to convey any concerns or voice support for the changes. Remember, at this point Chris still hasn't accepted the changes into the parent repository.

 070816bartell figure13

Figure 13: The pull request is complete and awaits acceptance or rejection.

The next thing I wanted to look into was the fact the license isn't declared. After digging some more, I found Chris does in fact have the license included in this repo and it is included in every file, as shown in Figure 14.

 070816bartell figure14

Figure 14: The copyright found at the top of source files.

I am of the opinion this should be included in at least the README.md if not also a separate file named LICENSE in the root of the repo. I determine to make a change to the README.md (simplest solution) and need to navigate back to my fork of this project. Figure 14 shows where you can click to see all forks of this repository, and Figure 15 shows the resulting screen.

 070816bartell figure15

Figure 15: View and select a fork.

In this case, I select the "aaronbartell" fork so I can get back to my repository and begin making a second round of changes to README.md. There are a variety of ways to get back to my fork, including going to my GitHub home page. Once back in my fork of FTPCLNT, I navigate to the README.md, select it, and edit it with the content shown in Figure 16.

 070816bartell figure16

Figure 16: I added a license section to README.md.

From here, I go through the same process of creating a pull request and submitting it to Chris. Again, it's up to Chris as to whether he accepts this second pull request into the parent repository. That's a key aspect to open source with GitHub and Bitbucket: I can't commit changes directly to the parent repository; instead I can only suggest changes via pull requests. This allows all changes to be adequately filtered by the repo owners to make sure all the code and changes are good.

Now it's your turn. The community is aggregating a list of IBM i open-source repositories on this Git-controlled wiki. Not all of them are in Git repositories, but for the ones that are, feel free to peruse them and see if there are small changes you could make to clarify the project like I did in this article.

What other questions do you have about the "how" of open source? Please comment below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you have.

Aaron Bartell

Aaron Bartell is Director of IBM i Innovation for Krengel Technology, Inc. Aaron facilitates adoption of open-source technologies on IBM i through professional services, staff training, speaking engagements, and the authoring of best practices within industry publications andwww.litmis.comWith a strong background in RPG application development, Aaron covers topics that enable IBM i shops to embrace today's leading technologies, including Ruby on Rails, Node.js, Git for RPG source change management, and RSpec for unit testing RPG. Aaron is a passionate advocate of vibrant technology communities and the corresponding benefits available for today's modern application developers. Connect with Aaron via email atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Aaron lives with his wife and five children in southern Minnesota. He enjoys the vast amounts of laughter that having a young family brings, along with camping and music. He believes there's no greater purpose than to give of our life and time to help others.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: