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Herding Code 92: Dru Sellers and Rob Reynolds on Nu

This week on Herding Code, Kevin, Jon and Scott K speak with Dru Sellers and Rob Reynolds about Nu, a  .NET package management system designed to solve your open source distribution/consumption issues. The guys discuss how package management is handled in other communities, namely Ruby, and how the .NET world can benefit from these same practiced.

• Dru explains the concept of package management and how it is implemented in other communities.  He continues by exposing package management’s absence in the .NET space and how Nu came into being.
• Rob basically shares the typical user experience and how to add open source references with Nu. 
• Kevin asks about the decision to take on the heavy dependency on Ruby.  The guys get into the similarities and differences between Ruby and .NET packaging, the use of the Ruby Gems server and standing up their own Nu server.
• Rob and Dru speak to the Gem Spec and how can contribute their open source packages to Nu.
• The guys talk about dependencies, versions and package upgrade paths with Nu.  Rob and Dru also share the challenges around management of open source projects like MassTransit and NServiceBus which include many cascading dependencies and the practicality of hosting packages for contrib projects which are being updated at breakneck speeds.
• Kevin asks about Bundler and the use of the local gem cache. Dru digs a little more into the differences between Ruby and .NET package management and introduces concepts like freezing references. 
• Rob basically speaks to Semantic Versioning – a formalized policy on bumping version numbers.
• Rob and Dru talk about ownership and how to get one’s packages added to the Gem server.  Scott K speaks of security, evil-doers, and lawyers.
• The group entertains the idea of hosting their own Gem Servers.
• Rob basically walks through another Nu usage with a RoundhousE example.
• Kevin notes that Nu installs are focused on the release of assemblies only. Rob and Dru talk to the distribution of documentation, samples and even executables as well.
• Dru provides the rundown of other .NET package management systems, their approaches and how they differ from Nu.
• Jon talks about open source naming, Google Juice and asks about the origins of the Nu (Nubular) name.
• Scott K asks what happens if Microsoft ever releases a package manager. The guys respond with talk of “bringing the awesome” and Jon shares that having more than one of something is rarely a bad thing.
• Kevin asks about the Nu roadmap. Rob and Dru talk to stabilization, issue/request tracking, and building up their own Gem Server.
• Jon asks about project contributors. Dru gives props to Bil Silmer for his contributions to the project.  He also talks about the development of Nu for Visual Studio and the integrated add reference experience it will offer devs.  Dru also thanks Nick Quaranto and the Ruby Community for the temporary use of their Gem Server. Jon asks how “our” use of the Gem has been received by the Ruby Community.
• K Scott basically dies.
• Dru further pimps Nu and requests that all open source projects submit their packages. Dru teases us with talk of TopShelf, UppercuT and Rob basically pimps database versioning with RoundhousE.

Show Links: 

• Dru Sellers, @drusellers
• Rob Reynolds, @ferventcoder
• Nu – Gems for .NET
• MassTransit
• Nu for Visual Studio
• Michael Carter, @kiliman
• Bundler
• Semantic Versioning
• IronRuby
• Tom Preston-Werner
• universal-.net
• Will Green, @hotgazpacho
• Nu Google Group
• Bil Simser @bsimser
• RoundhousE
• hornget
• Bricks
• NGems
• OpenWrap
• Sebastien Lambla, @serialseb
• OpenRasta
• Nu YouTrack
• GemCutter
• Nick Quaranto, @qrush
• Topshelf
• UppercuT

Show notes compiled by Ben Griswold. Thanks!

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Herding Code 92: Dru Sellers and Rob Reynolds on Nu