Roadmap


BVD

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I wasn't sure where to post this kind of thing - it's not exactly 'forum feedback', nor is it really a 'feature request for UnRAID' (if the capitalization is wrong here, please do let me know - I may've been writing it wrong all this time 😕 ), but more a 'business feature request' I guess... An ask of the team as far as planning goes I guess?

 

The request:

 

For Limetech to publish a Feature Roadmap which gives a generalized direction for wherever Limetech is planning to take the core OS over the next (however long you feel is realistic).

 

What would be super helpful (and hopefully more realistically possible now that the team's grown a bit!) is to publish a Feature Roadmap, updated perhaps once per every major release (6.8, 6.9, 7.0, etc), or every 3-6ish months (whatever makes sense based on your internal structure and cadence), which outlines the 'big new things' planned for the next (however many releases can be semi-accurately forecast).

_____

 

 

Some background:

 

Spoiler

 

Currently, there is the Feature Request sub-forum, which contains some information, while other details may be found elsewhere (my rough estimations of where they are, and what they mean as an end user):

  • Unscheduled (sub-sub-forum) - Requests reviewed by Limetech, and which Limetech plans on implementing at some point, varying depending on the time/complexity level/demand for doing so
  • Boneyard (sub-sub-forum) - Requests already reviewed by Limetech, and which Limetech has no plans towards implementing currently
  • Feature Requests (sub-forum) - Requests made which have not yet been fully evaluated by Limetech, or for which clarification of the request is still ongoing
  • Blog/Announcements/Other - Occasionally other locations make note of features to keep an eye out for, coming in a future release. An example would be the interview on the Self Hosted podcast, which is what finally encouraged me to jump in with both feet after watching from the sidelines for the 2-3 years prior

 

Finding information on what's being planned as part of the base OS can be somewhat difficult. 

 

 

A Little Justification:

 

Spoiler

 

The thing that made me start looking for some form of roadmap was this request, where after I made a guide on SR-IOV+UnRAID, it was asked if it could be implemented in the UI via a plugin. Not wanting to duplicate efforts in the event y'all either:

  • Already had the work on your slate for some point down the line
  • Or didn't feel it was something that was a good fit for the core OS (whether it was too niche to do so as part of the base OS, too complex to justify the personnel investment currently, etc.

 

I've been wanting to give something back to the community, and creating a plugin for SR-IOV isn't outside the realm of possibility, though the time investment is significantly higher, so I was hoping to find something that could tell me whether or not this would add any long-term value; if it's going to be part of the core OS UI in >12 or something, I could better invest that time in creating additional guides/content, maybe trying out creating a landing page that organizes all the various posts on a given topic out there into an easy to use index, whatever the case may be. Mental cost/benefit analysis type of thing.

 

I also think, and I can't speak for anyone else so this is just what I'd imagine is the case, that such a roadmap would be *hugely* beneficial to numerous community developers out there. Not only would it help avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings (ex: Nvidia drivers), but it would help optimize everyone's contributions by ensuring that those developers who are contributing have at least a vague understanding of what's coming down the pipe, so they work on areas that they know are not, and will then add the most possible long term value.

 

 

Ideas for what it looks like:
 

<To be filled out once I get back from the day out with the fam>

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I've seen various requests for it in all number of threads, but never explicitly as it's own topic... I might've missed it though, for sure.

 

My hope is that they'll feel the time is right at this point to actually implement one - the team's grown significantly since version 6 was released, and the development community has undergone significant change and growth as well. I feel like having a roadmap available to us could only help accelerate adoption at this point, now that they've the additional headcount as well as the expanding number of those in the community who are willing to volunteer their time to contribute via community applications.

 

Without a roadmap of any sort, it's possible (likely, in my opinion) that efforts will be duplicated, and that someone's work's value will be short-lived and lost upon a later release when whatever project/feature they created a tool (plugin/script/etc) for is implemented in the base OS. More features across a wider pool of developers, I'd think at least, would be more than enough to justify it.

 

To me, it's not about 'making promises for deadlines', so much as 'when this release is done and made GA, it'll have this thing'

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  • 1 month later...

I would really love limetech to have a proper feature map, there are a ton of stuff I want to see but none of it is in development as far as I know. Atleast if there was a roadmap I'd be able to decide if I wish to stick with unraid or go else where depending on if I am happy to wait. At the moment I haven't even seen a list of "maybes"

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This is a good idea. It gives people things to look forward to and give the community an idea of where the devs are headed. Also gives a chance for the community to give feedback if they are headed the wrong direction. Overall it gives everyone the sense that the devs have a plan and are working towards something.

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  • 4 weeks later...

+1 for this. unRAID may be closed source (well, the closed source parts are), but that doesn't have to mean closed business. I'm pretty sure Limetech is a well-oiled company that has a structured way of working, from which arises at least *some* kind of planning.

 

I don't think we are demanding day-to-day schedules. But something like quarterly forecasts for new features or big fixes would, if nothing else, help us ascertain whether we want to go with a plugin that feels clumsy and wobbly, or instead wait for it to be implemented in the core featureset. I think that'll be a good use-case.

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