<chapter id="intro-history" xreflabel="History">
<title>History</title>
<para>The CentOS Artwork Repository started around 2008 during a
discussion about how to automate the slide images of Anaconda, at
CentOS Developers mailing list (centos-devel@centos.org). In such
discussion, Ralph Angenendt rose up his hand to ask —Do you have
something to show?—.</para>
<para>To answer the question, I suggested a bash script which
combined SVG and SED files in order to produce PNG images in
different languages —together with the proposition of
creating a Subversion repository where translations and image
production could be distributed inside The CentOS
Community—.</para>
<para>Karanbirn Sighn considered the idea intresting and provided
the infrastructure necessary to support the effort. This way the
CentOS Artwork SIG (https://projects.centos.org/trac/artwork/) and
the CentOS Artwork Repository
(https://projects.centos.org/svn/artwork/) were officially
created.</para>
<para>Once the CentOS Artwork Repository was available, I uploaded
the bash script for rendering Anaconda slides; Ralph Angenendt
documented it very well; and people started to download working
copies of CentOS Artwork Repository to produce slide images in
their own languages.</para>
<para>Around 2009, the rendition script was at a very rustic state
where only slide images could be produced, so it was redesigned to
extend the image production to other areas, different from slide
images. In this configuration, one SVG file was used as input to
produce a translated instance of it which, in turn, was used to
produce one translated PNG image as output. The SVG translated
instance was created through SED replacement commands. The
translated PNG image was created from the SVG translated instance
using Inkscape command-line interface.</para>
<para>The repository directory structure was prepared to receive
the rendition script using design templates and translation files
in the same location. There was one directory structure for each
artwork that needed to be produced. In this configuration, if you
would want to produce the same artwork with a different visual
style or structure, it was needed to create a new directory
structure for it because both the image structure and the image
visual style were together in the design template.</para>
<para>The rendition script was moved to a common place and linked
from different directory structures. There was no need to have the
same code in different directory structures if it could be in just
one place and then be linked from different locations.</para>
<para>The concepts about corporate identity began to be
considered. As referece, it was used the book <quote>Corporate
Identity</quote> by Wally Olins (1989) and Wikipedia related links
(e.g., <ulink url="http://en.wikipedia.org/Corporate_identity"
/>). This way, the rendition script main's goal becomes to:
automate production of a monolithic corporate visual identity
structure, based on the mission and the release schema of The
CentOS Project.</para>
<para>The repository directory structures began to be documented
inside by mean of flat text files. Later, documentation in flat
text files was moved onto LaTeX format and this way <quote>The
CentOS Artwork Repository Manual</quote> is initiated.</para>
<para>Around 2010, the rendition script changed its name from
<command>render.sh</command> to <command>centos-art.sh</command>
and became a collection of functionalities where rendition was
just one among others (e.g., documenting and localizing).</para>
<para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> was initialy conceived
to organize automation of most frequent tasks inside the
repository based in the conceptual idea of Unix toolbox:
<emphasis>create small and specialized tools that do one thing
well</emphasis>. This way, functionalities inside
<command>centos-art.sh</command> were identified and separated one
another. For example, when images were rendered, there was no need
to load functionalities related to documentation manual. This
layout moved us onto common functionalities and specific
functionalities inside <command>centos-art.sh</command> script.
Common functionalities are loaded when
<command>centos-art.sh</command> script is initiated and are
available to specific functionalities.</para>
<para>There was no need to have links all around the
repository if a command-line interface could be created (through
symbolic links, in the <filename
class="directory">~/bin</filename> directory) and be called
anywhere inside the repository as it would be a regular
command.</para>
<para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> script was redesigned
to handle command-line options trough <command>getopt</command>
option parser.</para>
<para>The repository directory structure was updated to improve
the implementation of concepts related to corporate visual
identity. Specially in the area related to themes which were
divided into <emphasis>design models</emphasis> and
<emphasis>artistic motifs</emphasis> to eliminate the content
duplication produced by having both image structure and image
visual style in the same file. Now, both
<command>centos-art.sh</command> and repository directory
structure are able to produce themes as result of arbitrary
combinations between design models (structures) and artistic
motifs (visual styles).</para>
<para>In the documentation area, the documentation files in LaTeX
format were migrated to Texinfo format. In this configuration,
each directory structure in the repository has a documentation
entry associated in a Texinfo structure which can be read, edited
and administered (e.g., renamed, deleted, copied) interactively
throuch <command>centos-art.sh</command>. Additionally, the
<command>texi2html</command> program was used to produced XHTML
output customized by CSS from The CentOS Webenv.</para>
<para>Around 2011, the <command>centos-art.sh</command> script was
redesigned to start translating SVG and other XML-based files
(e.g., XHTML and Docbook files) through the
<command>xml2po</command> program and shell scripts files (e.g.,
Bash scripts) through GNU <command>gettext</command> tools. This
configuration provided a stronger interface for graphic designers,
translators and programmers to produce localized content. The SED
files are no longer used to handle translations.</para>
<para>The <code>render</code>, <code>help</code> and
<code>locale</code> functionalities were consolidated as the most
frequent tasks performed inside the repository. Additionally, the
<code>prepare</code> and <code>tuneup</code> functionalities are
maintained as useful tasks.</para>
<para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> script is updated to
organize functionalities in two groups: <quote>the administrative
functionalities</quote> and <quote>the productive
functionalities</quote>. The administrative functionalities cover
actions like: copying, deleting and renaming directory structures
inside the repository. Also, preparing your workstation for using
<command>centos-art.sh</command> script, making backups of the
distribution theme currently installed, installing themes created
inside repository and restoring themes from backup. On the other
hand, the productive functionalities cover actions like: content
rendition, content localization, content documentation and content
maintainance.</para>
</chapter>