Re: Web UI for NPF as a GSoC project

[christos%astron.com@localhost (Christos Zoulas)]

In article <20160313123548.GB7414%SDF.ORG@localhost>,  <coypu%SDF.ORG@localhost> wrote:
>Hi!
>
>You may know from pkgsrc-wip, and making a lot of noise^Wbug reports.
>I'm a long time NetBSD user and a somewhat experienced web developer,
>and also an electrical engineering student.
>
>I've got a plan for the aforementioned project.
>
>I plan to implement it using Lua and bozohttpd, given that they're
>available in base and fairly portable.
>
>Rough timetable:
>
>First 1-3 weeks:
>- Survey several users of alternatives on the pros and cons of the
>  products and their use
>- Play around with the alternatives and npf
>- Learn how to make websites with Lua
>
>At the end of which, I hope to have a list of features labeled "need,
>want, good to have".
>
>Afterwards:
>- Implement support for all the features marked "need"
>- Plan a design for the above.
>
>It's very minimal and meant to ensure I will certainly have a working
>product at the end of the project.
>
>Any additional time:
>- Implement a good amount of the "want" features
>- Re-design the website, probably.
>
>Additional additional time:
>- Implement "good to have" features
>- Translate the website to my native language, mostly to ensure it is not too
>  challenging to produce translations.
>- Add support for extensions, and write one extension, whatever is
>  popular for pfSense.
>- Redesign again, because nobody is ever happy
>
>Nobody signed up for mentoring this project, so I'll clarify what I want
>of a mentor:
>- Absolutely no need for knowledge with web development, UI designs, or Lua.
>- Someone who has used the alternatives and plans to use this one.
>- Someone that knows the feature list of npf and other things.
>- Bounce ideas back and forth about designs.
>
>That is because, while I'm confident with web development, I've never
>used a packet filter or npf.
>
>Not fixed on this plan at all, willing to change any part given it is
>done at the beginning.

This looks good, but I am wondering if it is not going to be easier
and better for you to use one of the existing web-ui frameworks so
you can have more time to spend on functionality.

christos