Open Source has its problems, too...

I just installed Trac, an OpenSource bug tracking system. And, boy, what an experience it was. While I'm aware that Joe Average would not install a bug tracking system on his computer I am no Joe Average (I have some 26 years of computer experience on my back), and I don't understand or at least I don't like things to be that complicated.

How did it go? I downloaded Trac and ran the installer.

BUZZ! Python was not found. Downloaded Python 2.5, installed that, installed Trac afterwards, tried to start Trac. OK, where is the start button? No entry in the program menu. Where did it install to... hm, it didn't actually ask me... can't find it! Used the Windows search function, and, aha, it installed itself somewhere south of the Python installation. F...ine, looked at the Trac web page and ran the Python interpreter with the admin command.

BUZZ! SQLite missing, a lightweight SQL database. So I downloaded that, but how to tell Trac where to find it?! I don't know! Copied it into the Python install dir; to no avail. In the end located a Python SQLite module and installed that. At least now the admin tool runs to completion. Ahhhh... Issued the command to start the web interface.

BUZZ! "Clearsilver" not found - some HTML template mechanism by the Trac people that I never heard of before. Isn't it great to have standards? Let's create our own! Located Clearsilver, but only could find binary builds for Windows - good for Python 2.4 (plenty of current builds for Linux). After contemplating an excursion into building the stuff from source myself, I cursed, uninstalled Python 2.5, downloaded 2.4, installed that, and Clearsilver on top. The web interface started up, so I tried it out.

BUZZ! Now I am getting even more annoyed than I was before. For Christ sake, I want to run a simple bug tracking tool! Why can't there be a "install it all" option for people who are not experienced Linux sys admins?! It seems I selected SVN integration, but there are no Python binding for SVN installed, whatever that is. Used Google for a while and found a 40+MB Windows version of SVN, and matching Python binding. Installed both, a way bigger helping than Trac is. Why in hell does SVN have to bring it's own Java Runtime? I know, I complained above, but expecting people to have Java installed is a bit different from demanding Python and Clearsilver to be present.

After that the web interface worked, but for today I lost my appetite to explore Trac.