Plugin problems

[coderanger]

So for those that don't know, I spend a large part of my free time working with the Trac project. It is a FOSS project management tool, and comes with a very nice plugin interface and framework. Recently a somewhat large dispute has arisen over how best to implement certainly functionality. Some people want to see all but the rarest subsystems end

Comments

[arkineux]

I think years of conditioning by Dell tech support and the Geek Squad have led us to believe that plugins = spyware/malware. When Spybot warns of "Browser Helper Objects", people think plugins. Remember the evil that Gator wrought upon us when we installed Kazaa? Stuff that "tags along" with the software we *want* that was written by someone else must therefore be untrustworthy.
Look at the rise of Ubuntu. Turn-key doesn't need to mean a 2GB word processing program.

[anonymous]

I 100% agree with your intentions and assessment of the issue and hope that trac core stays the minimalist infrastructure that it is today. I think that the "plugin" == "hacky dangerous code" is largely a PR issue that could be solved with effort both in terms of documentation and making installing trac + lots of needed plugins easier to those that want an OOTB solution.

[dvae]

Hi coderanger

Yet another Eclipse comparison

[anonymous]

As Eclipse is the only app I know about that successfully uses plugins, I think Trac could look towards that.

Perhaps seeing Trac-core as OSGI-platform (i.e. the plugin-enabling framework) and doing a few different, more-or-less batteries-included releases at regular times.

I don't mind plugins as long as I know that they've been tested in some way along with the rest of the product, and that I don't have to hunt about for them.

I'm not wary about eclipse being a set of plugins, but I'm wary of downloading third-party plugins to eclipse (mismatch, lack of official testing etc) and I don't like the maintenance worries.

I think you might gain something by separating the concern of plugin development vs. plugin distribution. I know it has been discussed before, but I haven't seen much progress.