LX/05-0025
Draft Minutes

INCITS Study Group on Linux
Meeting Number 9
Review of Ballot and Comments on Linux Standard Base PAS Submission (DIS 23360) and formulation of U.S. Positions for Ballot Resolution Meeting

Teleconference Logistics:
Friday, June 24, 2005
13:00-14:00 Eastern, 10:00-11:00 Pacific
Dial-in Number:    1-913-643-5111
Participant Passcode:  984387#    (Note new passcode) 


1. Administrative
1.1 Call to Order (D. Thewlis)
    The meeting was called to order at 13:05 by Mr. Thewlis.

1.2 Introduction of New Members and Attendees (D. Thewlis)
Members present:  
    Don Cragun, Sun
    Nick Stoughton, USENIX
    Dave Thewlis, Intel, Convenor
    Ted Ts'o, IBM
    Mats Wichmann, Intel

Members absent:
    Hewlett Packard
    Oracle

1.3 Membership Report (D. Thewlis)
Reference:  LX/05-0024

Mr. Thewlis noted that Oracle had failed to attend the last two meetings of the Study Group on Linux and had been sent a Jeopardy Letter (LX/05-0024).  No communication has been received from Oracle and no representative from Oracle had joined this call by the time it ended.
1.4 Approval of Minutes from the Eighth Meeting of the INCITS Study Group on Linux - June 7, 2005 (D. Thewlis)
          Reference:  LX/05-0022

          The minutes from the Eighth Meeting of the Study Group on Linux were adopted without change.
          M/Mr. Stoughton; S/Mr. Cragun.  Unanimous.
1.5 Approval of the Draft Agenda for the June 24, 2005 Teleconference (D. Thewlis)
Reference:  LX/05-0023

The Draft Agenda for the Ninth meeting of the Study Grou pon Linx was adopted without change.
M/Mr. Ts'o; S/Mr. Stoughton.  Unanimous.

2. Convener's Remarks
 (D. Thewlis)

Mr. Thewlis noted that as there was no international working group within JTC 1 specifically with a Linux-related charter and scope of work, it was not possible for INCITS to create a Linux TC as the TAG.  Therefore the continuation of the INCITS Study Group on Linux would be the approach that the INCITS Executive Board would take, presuming that someone was available to chair the Study Group.  He noted that the SG could be chaired by a representative from any organization belonging to an INCITS subsidiary group, such as a Technical Committee, in addition to a member of the INCITS Executive Board.  Mr. Thewlis is willing to continue charing the INCITS SGL but does not know if he has support to continue to do so.

3.  Linux Standard Base PAS, DIS 23360 Status
3.1 Review of LX/05-0017 (JTC 1/SC 22 N8999) - Summary of Voting and Table of Comments for ISO/IEC DIS 23360, Linux Standard Base Core Specification 2.0.1 (D. Thewlis)
          Reference:  LX/05-0017
          3.2 Consideration of how the SGL wishes to approach developing U.S. positions on NB comments for the Ballot Resolution Meeting

The Study Group continued with its review of the proposed Disposition of Comments from the Summary of Voting and table of Comments.  Mr. Stoughton, who is the Project Editor and therefore responsible for the preparation of the DOC, indicated that some items were still under preparation but the majority were complete, including all comments made by the United States.  Where comments are not complete Mr. Stoughton would welcome suggested text and  resolutions.  Mr. Stoughton pointed out that one thing all NBs commented on was the alignment with Posix section so it was probably most important thing to get right, and solicited comments on what has been proposed and if it is acceptable to the U.S. Mr. Cragun suggested that while the direction was acceptable, the actual progress on scheduling a joint meeting was disheartening to date.  Mr. Stoughton will prepare a proposed agenda for that meeting in the next week or two. and will follow up with the Austin Group to resolve any remaining differences.

The document was reviewed and specific comments discussed where necessary.  Mr. Cragun noted that a concern was going to be in the resolution of normative references (comment CA-015 et al).  Mr. Stoughton indicated that the immediate direction was to obtain escrow copies of all referenced specifications and refer to them.  Mr. Cragun believed that this would be an acceptable approach to the other NBs concerned about this issue, but only if the compilation of escrow copies was complete prior to publication.

It was noted that the JTC 1 Directives say that the "first revision after five years must bring the document fully in line with ISO styles" so in theory FSG could have revisions during the first five years without becoming completely in compliance, but the goal was to get there as quickly as possible.

Mr. Stoughton stressed that he expected to have all uncertain or missing elements completed well before August 29th; the missing information is typically in places where the existing LSB hasn't addressed a problem and so hasn't finalized the fix.  Mr. Ts'o asked whether any of these would result in textual changes to the LSB version 3.0 RC3 inside FSG?  Mr. Stoughton indicated that these were not things that will change Version 3.0, but might cause production of  a 3.0.1 spec purely for the ballot resolution meeting; it could be considered the first draft of 3.1, which will be output of ballot resolution meeting.

The FSG board has been asked to vote on 3.0 on Friday; Mr. Ts'o hoped there wouldn't be any deltas between now Singapore.  Mr. Stoughton observed that there are things that the FSG has agreed are impossible to achieve in the timeframe for 3.0, not because complicated but because of resource availability. He expects to come out of the Singapore meeting with a document known in the FSG as 3.1 with some textual differences from 3.0; but he expects them to be small and addressing things that are called out in the DOC.  He noted that the ballot had closed in mid-May; the document while not frozen is in slush state since end of March. The only changes to the document are the known blanks and double checking cross references.. 

Mr. Stoughton plans to distribute the final version of the Disposition of Comments and an updated specification document to the Secretariat for forwarding to the National Bodies before July 29th and will also distribute it to the INCITS SGL.   Mr. Stoughton was requested to mark all changes from the current version of the DOC to make it easy to identify the sections that needed review.

Mr. Thewlis noted that the general U.S. position at this point for all comments is "The United States agrees with the proposed resolution in the Disposition of Comments".  However, it is important for the final DOC document once distributed to be reviewed by INCITS SGL members to ensure that there is nothing that the U.S. will want to have a position on other than our default position, as during the Ballot Resolution meeting the United States must know its position on how each comment should be addressed.  In some places we may wish to explicitly call out that "The Unites States supports the National Body of X".  INCITS SGL members are requested to post any comments about the final version of the DOC on the INCITS SGL Reflector within two weeks of the distribution of the final DOC by Mr. Stoughton, and in any case by 12 August.  If necessary Mr. Thewlis may call an emergency  conference call of the INCITS SGL, or consider any such issues at a Caucus meeting prior to the opening of the Ballot Resolution meeting.

If there is going to be a U.S. Caucus meeting it will take place at 08:00 on Monday morning the 29th prior to the opening of the Ballot Resolution meeting, rather than the previous Sunday evening as originally proposed.  Mr. Thewlis will confirm to the INCITS SGL reflector after 12 August whether this Caucus meeting will be required, or if an emergency conference call is needed.
 

4. Changes to U.S. Delegation to DIS 23360 Ballot Resolution Meeting (D. Thewlis)
 
The delegation remains:

Don Cragun, Sun
          Dave Thewlis, Intel, HoD
          Ted Ts'o, IBM
          Mats Wichmann, Intel


5. Next Meetings (D. Thewlis)

5.1  Establishment of  other INCITS SGL conference calls or meetings prior to Ballot Resolution Meeting, if any.

No subsequent meeting or conference call of the INCITS Study Group on Linux has been established at this point.

5.2  Ballot Resolution Meeting for DIS 23360 - 29 August-1 September, 2005 - Singapore
Reference:  LX/05-0020

Mr. Thewlis encouraged all members of the delegation to make their hotel and travel arrangements soon, and to complete and send in the meeting registration form soon.  It appears that all members of the delegation intend to arrive Saturday night.

6. Review of Action Items (D. Thewlis)

  1. All delegates will complete their travel and hotel registrations and their meeting registrations soon.
  2. Mr. Thewlis will submit the List of Delegates to ANSI.
  3. Mr. Stoughton will prepare a proposed agenda for the joint meeting to resolve POSIX/Linux differendces will follow up with the Austin Group to resolve any remaining differences.
  4. Mr. Stoughton will circulate the final Disposition of Comments to the INCITS SGL reflector no later than 29 July.
  5. All delegates will review the final DOC and submit any comments to the reflector no later than 12 August, in particular any comments indicating a possible U.S. Position other than supporting the DOC disposition.
  6. If there are any issues requiring additional discussion by the delegation following 12 August, Mr. Thewlis will either call an emergency conference call or notify the group that we will meet in Caucus on Monday morning 29 August at 8:00 a.m. prior to the opening of the Ballot Resolution Meeting.

7. Adjournment                                           
(D. Thewlis)

The meeting was adjourned at 14:10.  M/Mr. Stoughton.