Dear Takanori Nakane,
as far as I know, there is only one XDS developer, namely Wolfgang Kabsch.
As Linus Torvalds phrased it: if you are not happy with a software (license),
then you may write your own, although you don't even need to do so: dials and
mosflm are open source, and maybe others, so you can choose a different
program. If you take into account who develops (crystallographic) software and
under what conditions (e.g. in their spare time), providing of the software
should not be considered a service, but a courtesy of the developer.
Best regards,
Tim
On Tuesday, October 20, 2015 09:35:14 PM Takanori Nakane wrote:
> Dear XDS developers,
>
> I object to the decision to stop the distribution of
> 32 bit binary. I know many people who still use 32-bit Linux.
> I don't mean that the new version should be built for 32-bit.
> I know a huge burden associated with the maintenance of building and
> testing environment. Still, I believe that the last 32-bit build
> (version June 17, 2015) be available without time limit. For example,
> although CCP4 dropped support of 32-bit Mac OS, we can still
> download older versions or build 32-bit binary from source codes.
> Both options are unavailable for XDS.
>
> Honestly speaking, the way XDS is distributed is frustrating, where
> only the latest binary with time limit is available. How can we
> guarantee reproducibility of our research, if the exact version of a
> scientific program used for the research is no longer available [1]?
> Even worse, since XDS is a closed-source, black-box program, we do not
> know what actually changed in each update. For example, what does
> "simplification in the method for calculating the initial value of the
> mosaicity" [2] mean? How does it differ from the previous, published
> method? If the authors insist on keeping XDS source code confidential,
> they should at least provide detailed explanations of the algorithms
> in natural language, although it never substitutes source codes [3].
> It is understandable that some authors want to charge non-academic users
> to secure funding. But it does not justify secrecy of internals and
> unavailability of earlier versions.
>
> [1] See discussion on ccp4bb last May
> [log in to unmask]" target="_blank">https:[log in to unmask]
> [2] XDS Release notes
> http://xds.mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de/html_doc/Release_Notes.html
> [3] Ince, Darrel C., Leslie Hatton, and John Graham-Cumming.
> "The case for open computer programs." Nature 482.7386 (2012): 485-488.
> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7386/full/nature10836.html
>
> Best regards,
>
> Takanori Nakane
>
> (This is my personal opinion, and is not necessarily that of
> my employer or projects I am/was involved with.)
>
> On 2015/10/19 23:07, Kay Diederichs wrote:
> > Dear XDS users,
> >
> > a new package has been released for academic users; the download link is
> > at http://xds.mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de/ .
> >
> > There is no longer a 32bit version for Linux, and there is only a single
> > package for OSX 10.6 and up. Those of you who still use 32bit Linux or
> > OSX 10.5 thus should consider upgrading their operating system; the
> > current (academic user) XDS package expires in less than 6 months so
> > there is still some time left!
> >
> > As always, if there are bugs/crashes/problems then pls tell Wolfgang
> > Kabsch or me about them; we can only fix bugs if we can reproduce them
> > so pls be prepared to share (confidentially) the minimal amount of data
> > with us that allows to reproduce the problem.
> >
> > best wishes,
> >
> > Kay
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Dr. Tim Gruene
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