Gufw in Launchpad
If you’re an Ubuntu user, it’s likely that you’ve used UFW — the Uncomplicated Firewall — and maybe also its graphical front-end, Gufw.
I spoke to Marcos Costales from Gufw to ask about the project and their use of Launchpad.
Matthew: What prompted you to start the project?
Marcos: In 2008 I was translating and testing, but I wanted to contribute more. When Canonical released ufw, I read some reviews that a firewall using the shell was not an uncomplicated firewall; reviews did not see that ufw was perfect for servers and a base with great ideas for something else, I saw a clear opportunity for the development of an application like Gufw.
Matthew: How many of you are working on it?
Marcos: After the first week following release, Vadim joined the project and we were able to generate a lot of expectation. It was amazing to see how Gufw grew exponentially thanks to the contribution of the community. An important point was Cedrick’s mockup for setting a good interface.
From here I would like to thank Vadim, Emilio, Raúl, Planella, Rubén, Rogério, Cedrick and Devid, Gufw is what it is thanks to them.
We are currently working on an application that really simplifies the task of setting up a firewall: very minimalistic, easy to use and understand.
Matthew: How much connection is there between the Gufw and UFW communities?
Marcos: From Gufw we pay attention to the next ufw versions and we request changes we need. We want to thank Jamie for his effort and interest in all of our requests.
There is also an awesome work of documentation taking place in the Ubuntu Wiki.
Matthew: Does Launchpad help the two projects work together?
Marcos: Yes, we can follow the blueprints of the next ufw version and review which changes could affect Gufw. We can easily reassign ufw and gufw bugs…
Matthew: Why did you choose Launchpad?
Marcos: Gufw started in Google Code. After one month we moved to Launchpad, and it certainly was one of our best decisions because it offers us all necessary services and an amazing integration between them.
Matthew: What’s your favourite Launchpad feature?
Marcos: Translations. I am a translator in external projects to Launchpad, and I must say that the usability and simplicity of Launchpad is unique.
Matthew: What would you most like to see added to Launchpad?
Marcos: Maybe a small space for a custom website. We must use an external hosting for the main project website.
Matthew: What do you think is Launchpad’s biggest weakness?
Marcos: At first Launchpad seems overly complex and big (compared for example with Google Code). One idea would be to have two views according to the needs/experience of the project: the current one and an easier to use one.
Matthew: Are you looking for people to contribute?
Marcos: Of course we are. There are always pending tasks for anyone who wants to help and everyone is welcome.
Matthew: Thanks Marcos!
