<sect1 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> </sect1>