Why does this project exist?
This project started as an alternative to normal licenses (open or copy-righted) and as a solution to the problem of metadata compatibility (and formats diversity) within the digital domain.
How do I get started using Virtual Entity?
All you need is installing the code and start using it!
You can find old releases stored here. If you want to use the latest version (highly recommended), go to the git repository and clone it with this command:
$ git clone git://code.xname.cc/virtualentity.git
If you don’t have git installed, just click on the link ‘snapshot’ at the right of the first shortlog entry (the one tagged ‘master’), download the .tar.gz file and unpack it:
$ tar xfvz virtualentity-xxx.tar.gz
enter in the directory virtualentity-xxx:
$ cd virtualentity-xxx
and execute the install file (for this you need to know the administrator’s password):
$ sudo ./install.sh
Have fun!
Is there any religious credo behind the project?
No.
Why is the application named ‘soul’?
It is a metaphor: the soul, a text-based soul, is interpreted as the place where the information stored can reveal who or what a certain entity is. It is a mark for the preservation of identity.
How can I get started contributing code to Virtual Entity?
Clone the project and start manipulating the code as you like. You can be inspired by the ‘tickets’ listed in the TODO file, but feel free to experiment and imagine your own trajectory of implementations. In the latter case, you may think of creating a new branch. Once you have written something relevant, you are ready to commit:
$ git add filename
$ git commit -m ‘new incredible functions in filename’
To see your changes you have to execute the install.sh script again:
$ sudo ./install.sh
It is better to experiment on a local database, especially if you are changing the metadata fields.
If you wish to push to the ‘official’ repository, please contact dev@virtualentity.org
You are welcome!