taskSavannah Administration - Tasks: task #6160, Submission of OpenOpt

 
 

task #6160: Submission of OpenOpt

Submitter:  Dmitrey <dmitrey>
Submitted:  Wed 29 Nov 2006 09:12:06 AM UTC
   
 
Should Start On:  Wed 29 Nov 2006 12:00:00 AM UTC Should be Finished on:  Sat 09 Dec 2006 12:00:00 AM UTC
Category:  Project Approval Priority:  * 5 - Normal
Status:  Cancelled Privacy:  Public
Assigned to:  sp Open/Closed:  Closed
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Tue 19 Dec 2006 07:39:37 PM UTC, comment #5: 

So OpenOpt 0.25 or latest 0.28 can run both MATLAB & GNU Octave
http://www.box.net/public/6bsuq765t4#main
currently I'm implementing all types of constraints to non-smooth r-alg and similar solvers.
I hope it will allow Octave programists to write code, able to running in MATLAB as well, with less code changes; and it will increase users migration from commercial MATLAB to free Octave.

Initially I think (I don't remember why) you have both CVS & subversion services here.
Now I've got to know that currently it's only CVS.
In anyway, hosting here and/or any other help to project is highly welcome.
WBR, Dmitrey

Dmitrey <dmitrey>
Wed 13 Dec 2006 11:57:10 AM UTC, comment #4: 

Sorry, I meant
" no more then one updating of packageis per 2 monthes is allowed" (in matlabcentral area)
WBR, D

Dmitrey <dmitrey>
Wed 13 Dec 2006 11:53:11 AM UTC, comment #3: 

Hi Stephan,

>How do you plan to use your Savannah account?

first of all I need subversion server somewhere, it's better than CVS from sourceforge because allows to do atomic changes & renaming of files.

>However, we do not allow to host your project on Savannah and

SourceForge at the same time, if Savannah is just a project mirror.
Your project development should happen primarily on Savannah.

Ok, no problem.

>There is a companion site savannah.nongnu.org where we also host Free

Software projects that are not part of the GNU Project, but run on
free platforms.

I didn't understand what's the difference? Does hosting on gnu.org yields more profits than in nongnu.org?

>A project name that says "open" will tend to lead people to think of the project as "open source" instead of "free software".
>We would be glad if you accept to use "free" instead of "open" in your project name.
>While Open Source as defined by its founders means something pretty close to Free Software, it's frequently misunderstood. For more information, please see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-....


Ok, so I visited your page, has read it carefully & find it to be very essential.
On the other hand,
1) many people will treat word "free" to be not opensourse, just to be something like shareware, like, for example, many instant messengers with closed-code are.
2) Unfortunately, word "FreeOpt" sounds very UGLY (at least in Ukrainian), so some people, that could be interested in future in development and/or using the tool, will laughing and avoiding this one.
3)I already registered the OpenOpt in http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/
-the main web area, where free m-code for MATLAB (and GNU Octave) are gained
Renaming of package is unavailable there. Unfortunately, no more then one updating of package is allowed (according to the web area rules), so I had to publish link, where my new versions with bugfixes & new features are available, & it reduced my downloading rating - now openopt users doesn't use mathworks link for download & it reduces my rate (btw I have 73 downloads for now (last 16 days since reliase 1st ver; those numbers are for last 30 days)).

4)Anyway, after reading the (brand)name of OpenOpt license ("GNU GPL") all questions about free/open will gone away.

>We are careful about ethical issues and insist on producing software that is not dependent on proprietary software.

So, now I have fixed some incompabilities with Octave & have OpenOpt version, that runs in the GNU Octave environment (unfortunately, graphics output isn't work in Octave yet, because they have some thoubles (some bugs) with connecting MATLAB-style plot() to GNUPlot).
Anyway, area of commercial optimization packages is very big - lots of those ones cost some thousand dollars. For example, TOMLAB/CONOPT costs 24500$ (http://tomopt.com/tomlab/products/prices/commercial.php), and it's only one of the solver packages, that are included in the TOMLAB (3rd party commercial extension optimization set of packages). So, Octave - GNU analog to MATLAB - missed even fmincon() - the main MATLAB optimization routine! - which is used (according to my observing MATLAB-related forums) aproximately in 30-40% of optimization problems.
Of couse, it reduses Octave spreading speed very much, so I guess GNU should be interested. BTW some our solvers, for example ralg, in some tasks are better than any MATLAB or TOMLAB solver. Now I intend to connect RSQP toolbox by Institute of Industrial Control, Zhejiang University (http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/loadFile.do?objectId=13046&objectType=file), which also is better than some commercial solvers.
Of course, there are many free uncommercial optimization packages, but
1) almost all of them are written in C/C++ or Fortran, so compilation sometimes falls because of different OS & different compilers used; also RAD (rapid application development) is unavailable there - it requires many time to compile, to link, to catch bugs like segfault etc.
2)Of course, in 99% cases Octave or Python are slower than C/Fortran, but now, with implementing things like JIT accelerator (of already compiled, running binary code) this difference turnes to be very small.
3)Almost all of the free optimization routines are written either as a students' homework (hence the code is very poor) or as a accompanied software to scientific articles or books, so it has unconvinient interface for implementing into a project. Of course, graphic output is very poor or absent.
4)Potential users of free software dislike using packages that are hosted at links like www.msu.edu/optim/~researchers/bob_smith_79.html. Who knows - may be some error will occure in future in already implemented project, and who will fix the bugs, when link will become dead?
5)What about support: salaries in Ukraine are very small, so no much money will be required from OpenOpt users for consulting & assisting them in solving their problems.
6) more than half of them uses not 100% free licenses, and it requires to study license every time you download something.

So, even adding "GNU " to the "OpenOpt" would turn customers to be much more sure in the product.

Dmitrey <dmitrey>
Tue 12 Dec 2006 07:23:40 PM UTC, comment #2: 

Hi Dmitrey,
 
I'm evaluating the project you submitted for approval in Savannah. While doing so I have noticed a few problems which are described below.


First of all, please note that Savannah supports projects of the Free Software movement, not projects of the Open Source movement.

We are careful about ethical issues and insist on producing software that is not dependent on proprietary software.

While Open Source as defined by its founders means something pretty close to Free Software, it's frequently misunderstood.  For more information, please see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html.


Secondly, Savannah's mission is to host free software projects, and we want the public to think of them as free software projects.  A project name that says "open" will tend to lead people to think of the project as "open source" instead of "free software".

We would be glad if you accept to use "free" instead of "open" in your project name.


Thirdly, Savannah is a central point for development, distribution and
maintenance of GNU Software.

There is a companion site savannah.nongnu.org where we also host Free
Software projects that are not part of the GNU Project, but run on
free platforms.

However, we do not allow to host your project on Savannah and
SourceForge at the same time, if Savannah is just a project mirror.
Your project development should happen primarily on Savannah.

How do you plan to use your Savannah account?


To help us better keep track of your registration, please use the tracker's web interface following the link below. Do not reply directly, the registration process is not driven by e-mail, and we will not receive such replies.

Regards,

Stephan

Stephan Peijnik <sp>
Sat 02 Dec 2006 11:03:03 AM UTC, comment #1: 

Also we intend to write tha same OpenOpt toolbox for Python (more exactly, as a part of numPy project), if some money will be obtained form anywhere.

Dmitrey <dmitrey>
Wed 29 Nov 2006 09:12:06 AM UTC, original submission:  

A new project has been registered at Savannah
This project account will remain inactive until a site admin approves or discards the registration.


Registration Administration


While this item will be useful to track the registration process, approving or discarding the registration must be done using the specific Group Administration page, accessible only to site administrators, effectively logged as site administrators (superuser):



Registration Details


  • Name: OpenOpt
  • System Name:  openopt
  • Type: non-GNU software &amp; documentation
  • License: GNU General Public License V2 or later (contacts:

-email is unavailable-
icq 275976670 (inviz) (better this one)
)




Description:

  OpenOpt is FREE MATLAB numerical optimization toolbox (GNU GPL2 license), also intended to run within GNU Octave environment (if enough financing will be received from someone or somewhere).

Powered by user-contributed solvers & ideas, and www.icyb.kiev.ua optim department solutions

Despite it's free, OpenOpt solver authors (that are welcome!) CAN MAKE MONEY via, for example, spreading C/Fortran/Caml solver version or hand-turning your algorithm parameters, ascribing their homepages, e-mails, other contact info to output structure, donations etc.

All rights remain belonging to solver authors as long as terms of GNU GPL v2 allows (if future OpenOpt versions v2 may be changed to more up-to-date ver).
The OpenOpt is for those, who
- prefer OPEN SOURCE
- dislike any quazi free products with restrictions like «no more than 100 variables!», «No more than 1 CPU!», «No more than 100 constraints!» etc.
- researches new algorithms & want to compare his own with others
- don't want or can't pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for commercial solvers and their upgrading
- don't want download from internet different solvers, trying each time
[out1 out2..outk] = newSolver (arg1, arg2,...),
learning input and output parameters meaning with each new solver, comparing their convergences from pictures with different x-y scale formats, bypassing options structures for to set their own stopping criteria etc, etc........
ANY DONATIONS are highly RECOMENDED!

Enjoy!

WBR, Dmitrey
Cherkassy, Ukraine.
icq 275976670, -email is unavailable-


Other Software Required:

Need MATLAB or GNU Octave (some problems with Octave portability still remain yet, but this problem is in process)


Other Comments:

OpenOpt if free analog of TOMLAB project:
http://tomopt.com/tomlab/company/customers.php - TOMLAB users
http://tomopt.com/tomlab/products/prices/commercial.php - TOMLAB prices

Latest version of the OpenOpt (with detailed description) now is available on
http://www.box.net/public/6bsuq765t4
(zip-file ~ 150 KB)
(we have some troubles with orginizing subversion repository on sourceforge page yet, its better than CVS because allows atomic changes & file renaming)
now 6 solvers & 1 wrapper (LB-UB) are availasble. 2 solvers (local non-smooth) are made by openopt team, others (4 global & wrapper) are taken from free web pages
http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/loadCategory.do?objectType=category&objectId=5
(they have very good reviews there)
We highly need some money for adding additional solvers, wrappers, for making good tech documentation in other format than .doc, for orginizing apropriate web page etc
BTW we found many GUI for Octave in the sourceforge page, but noone optimization toolbox; and GNU Octave needs more solvers:
http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/projects.html says: (need)
# Free QP solver.
# Free NLP solver.
Lots of 3rd party commercial optimization solver packages are available for MATLAB, some uncommercial (for MATLAB), and noone for Octave! This factor is significally decriasing the Octave spreading.
If enough financing will be gained, we promice to add full-specter of solvers: minimax, LP, QP, 2nd order NLP, linear & non-linear constraints etc.


Dmitrey <dmitrey>

 

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    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2007-02-23 sp StatusNeed Info Cancelled
        Open/ClosedOpen Closed
    2006-12-12 sp StatusNone Need Info
        Assigned toNone sp

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