using open source tools - o'reilly media - technology books, tech
TRANSCRIPT
Using Open Source Tools
for DAM and Production Workflow Management
Adam WitwerO’Reilly Media
Keith FahlgrenThreepress
Cause for Serious Concern
In a survey taken in late 2009, 30 out of 59 academic publishers called
DAM a “cause for serious concern.”
Digital Asset Management
Digital Publishing in the AAUP Community, Survey Report: Winter 2009-2010, www.aaupnet.org
DAM Defined
Takeaways
Lessons learned from 230,000 commitsSubversion as compared with other file management techniquesHow a pilot should be startedReal world examples of SVN enabling effective workflow management
A Picture of SVN
LessonsLearned
@6 - 17
“„
http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.5/svn.intro.whatis.html
Of course, there's a cost to using Subversion as well: administrative
overhead....When working with the data on a daily basis, you won't be
able to copy, move, rename, or delete files the way you usually do.
@7
Bigger Lessons
• Focus on many small successes• Favor low(er) risk, reasonable reward• Don’t mess with important authors• Think carrots, not sticks
HumanBehavior
@8 - 5
by stupiddingo on Flickr
A meaningful log
by amagill on Flickr
Locking?
by lenore-m on Flickr
Hooks
• Use other communication methods (duh)• Encourage everyone to update
often
Interaction
Education
• Exemplify good behavior• Provide real examples• Centralize help around a single
email address• Review manuscripts early, often
Access Control
• Define access based on roles, not names • Start promiscuous, become private
as necessary
Structure
@18 - 5
by Scott Berkun
Don’t Organize
by kyz on Flickr
Organize
Borrow from Programmers
• trunk/• tags/• branches/
Don’t Manage
Emephera
Transitions
@13 - 5
http://digital.nls.uk/74549008
Develop a Real Map
FormalizeHandoffs
• Define who gets what, when• Decide what can be criticized and
what cannot• Establish clear guidelines on image
submissions• Broadcast changes
Manuscript Submission
• Confirm “validity” of files• “Tag” the submission event• Consolidate files & standardize names
Manuscript Publication
• Confirm “validity” of files• “Tag” the publication event• Heavily consolidate• Collect all of the highest quality media
HandlingWord
• Be diligent about Track Changes• Get everyone on the same version• Work closely with copyeditors
HandlingXML
• Lack of differencing tools stinks• Enforce validity • Pick and editor that supports SVN
(oXygen, XXE)• Don’t bother organizing individual
files
oXygen’s SVN client got spun out into the standalone Syncro SVN
Subversion vs. Everything
Else
Digital file management for production workflows
The epitome of bad file management practice
10 Million Reasons Why• Files easily confused, mismanaged• No versioning• File size limitations• No logging of changes• No central repository• Poor security• Relies on opaque file-naming techniques
ch01c_01022010_aw2_update.doc
by Ingorrr on Flickr
Subversion + Email = Win
FTPWelcometo1976
• Allows files to be stored in a central place• Allows for a directory structure
What’s right with FTP
What’s wrong with FTP• No versioning• Logging is not automatic and “built in”• Potentially insecure
Use FTP for One-way file transfers and...
nothing else
Project management perfection ... for a price
Basecamp, etc.
• Good email integration and notification systems
• Fee-based file storage, with limits• Built-in scheduling and reporting• Some versioning
Web-based project management
Usually includes....
by hansol on Flickr
Subversion is not a project management solution
• Monthly fees• At project’s end, files must be exported• Projects with large file sizes could become
a problem
Fee-based storage on the web, with limits
Scheduling and reporting on an external system creates confusion
Built-in scheduling and reporting
• Not sophisticated (vs. SVN, which is a mature, time-tested versioning solution)
• At project’s end, the versioning and logging history is lost
Some versioning
Adobe’s document management solution
InCopy
InCopy CS4+ = SVN
• Uses a check out system• Maintains a version history• Allows multiple users to work on the same
file• Merges changes
InCopy CS4+ ≠ SVN
• InDesign/InCopy vs. any text-based files• Adobe-centric vs. platform-neutral
workflow• $249/seat vs. $0/seat
GettingStarted
@40 - 15
http://digital.nls.uk/74549010
Starting a Pilot
http://digital.nls.uk/74549010
Starting a PilotGung-ho
Eagersupporters
Pilot Team
•Physically co-located•Cross-functional•Smaller than ten
Sell It
•Authors•Editors•Staff
The Right Book
• Experienced author or motivated newcomer?• Shorter is better• Not too critical (or monitored)
The Right Books
• Some workflows simply won’t benefit from version control during manuscript development
• Pick two or three titles
OS X
• Versions ($): versionsapp.com• Syncro SVN ($): syncrosvnclient.com• svnX: lachoseinteractive.net/en/community/subversion/svnx/
Windows
• TortoiseSVN: tortoisesvn.tigris.org
5 ThingsTo Do
Tomorrow@55 - 5
1Decide if SVN Makes
Sense
@56
2Convince an Editor
@57
Identify Three Titles3
@58
4Find an Owner
@59
Read(Some of) the Book
http://svnbook.red-bean.com
5@60 Try free beanstalkapp.com?
Possibilities
Two Real-World Examples at
O’Reilly
Learning Rails &Take Control of iPhone OS 3
Published in November 2008
One year later, the authors wanted to publish a “living
book” version
Title?Price?
Rights?Marketing?
Royalties?
File management?
Tough Questions
• First edition files were named and archived reliably
• Errata corrected, logged, and versioned in the same files
• Files were on a centralized file server• Authors, editors, and production staff knew
where to find the newest and best version
File management was easy because...
Files “branched” for new productFiles copied to a new Subversion repository, retaining all previous
versions and log messages
Both of the authors, the editor, and the production staff worked in the new Subversion repository to create...
The Live Edition
Published as an ebook
Converted to an iPhone app
by Upsilon Andromedae on Flickr
Resubmitted and eventually accepted
Why was it rejected? And what changed so that it was accepted?
Time for some Subversion
detective work
by somegeekintn on Flickr
The Subversion repository revealed
• A branched version of the text in a folder named redacted_for_itunes_store
• A log message that read, “removed section on jailbreaking”
• A previous version of the text with a section on jailbreaking
?@75