Re: [Axiom-developer] Re: hyperdoc

[root]

> > So that was really the "Doyen" idea that Tim and I were
> > discussing a while back - to make a version of MathAction
> > (i.e. LatexWiki+Axiom) that was tailored to run on a single
> > user desktop but to support all of the functionality that
> > one gets via the web.
> 
> This is a cool idea.


> The list of prerequisites for running axiom is huge, and getting worse
> it seems!  So in the interest of having something people can download
> that is functional with a minimum of effort, I think axiom (and any help
> system or hyperdoc) should be decoupled from zope and zwiki.  A download
> (think windoze users here) which included zope, zwiki, latex,
> ghostscript, python, PIL, gcl, gcc, *and* axiom, is too much, methinks.


The Doyen idea is to have a "science platform" that comes in two parts.
The host part is an expanded wiki which contains areas where people can
cooperate, either privately or publicly. It also contains literate
programs that people can "drag and drop" onto their local wiki.

The local part is on a bootable CD (a special version of Knoppix)
that can be given out at a conference. The user can boot the CD
without affecting their hard drive and try the software. It can
also be installed from the CD.

The "big picture idea" is that copies of the Doyen could be given out
at a science conference. The presenter could give a demonstration from
the network wiki Doyen. A literate copy of the paper would be available
online. The audience, while listening to the talk, could drag and drop
the paper onto their newly-booted doyen (which, being a literate program,
contains the code which is automatically unpacked, installed, and runnable).
The audience could run the program while the talk is ongoing and when they
leave the talk they have both the paper and the algorithm.

The literate program could be developed by cooperating parties on a
private area of the doyen and then "published" by putting it on the
public area.

The wiki software is a good front-end idea for making this work.
The audience could actually change the online version to improve it.
And they can run it to verify things like performance claims, etc.

t