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Boost Mailing Lists and other resources

Boost Users list
Boost developers list
Archives for the Boost developers list
Boost Announce list
Boost Interest list
Project-Specific lists
Boost.Build (jamboost) list
Python C++-Sig (for Boost.Python)
Language Binding (for generalized C++ bindings)
Boost.Spirit lists
Boost.uBlas (numerics) list
Boost Sandbox CVS

The mailing lists are the heart of the Boost community.  You may read the lists via full-content email, email digests, or via newsgroup reader.

Hosting for the mailing lists is donated by the Open Systems Lab at Indiana University.

Access to Boost mailing lists via newsgroup (NNTP) is contributed by GMANE.

Boost Users mailing list (also available via newsgroup)

This list is oriented toward casual users of the Boost libraries. It is a good place to start if you are having trouble getting started with Boost or its individual libraries. Feel free to post both "newbie" and more challenging questions, but please check first to see if there's an appropriate Project-Specific list; you'll often get better answers in a forum dedicated to your problem area.  This list is relatively low volume (less than 500 per month).  Subscribe or unsubscribe at the Boost Users list home page.

For those who prefer to participate via an NNTP (newsgroup) interface, a gateway to the Boost Users mailing list is available at news://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.user. Please see this note before posting to the newsgroup. You can also browse Gmane's searchable archive.

Boost developers mailing list (also available via newsgroup)

This is the main Boost mailing list.  It is high volume (over 1000 messages per month), very technical, and oriented toward Boost library developers. It is also read by many other members interested in watching the Boost library development process.  Virtually all Boost decisions, major or minor, technical or otherwise, are reached via public discussion on this mailing list.  It is where the formal reviews of proposed libraries take place. Subscribe or unsubscribe at http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost.

When we talk about the "members of Boost", we are talking about those signed up for this main mailing list.

For those who prefer to participate via an NNTP (newsgroup) interface, a gateway to the Boost mailing list is available at news://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.devel.

Note: Postings to the newsgroup will only be accepted for the mailing list if from a subscribed email address, though you can configure your subscription settings to disable mail delivery if you prefer to read messages via the newsgroup. Don't be fooled by GMane's authentication message which says "you are now authorized to post to this list" after you answer its autogenerated mail; only subscribed addresses may post.

For this list's members only, preliminary libraries under discussion are available from the YahooGroups Files section (formerly called the "vault").

Archives for Boost developers list

A searchable mailing list archive has been generously contributed to the ActiveState Programmer Network by ActiveState Corporation.

Other archives of Boost messages include the Boost GMane NNTP Archive, The Mail Archive, and of course there is a Google search link for our MailMan Archive on our home page.

Boost Announce mailing list

This is an announce-only list for notification of upcoming software releases and formal reviews of proposed libraries. One to three messages per month.  Subscribe or unsubscribe at the Boost Announce list home page.

Boost Interest Mailing List

This list is a moderated low-traffic announcement-only list of interest to the Boost community. On topic messages will include announcements of books, magazine articles, papers, talks, seminars, products, tools, events, or conferences on advanced uses of C++, generic/generative/meta-programming, and, of course, the Boost libraries. Off topic will be discussion of any kind and job postings. Subscribe or unsubscribe at the Boost-Interest home page.

Project-Specific lists

Several mailing lists have been established for specific Boost projects:

Boost.Build (jamboost) list

The Yahoogroups mailing list for the Boost Build System is located here. GMane provides NNTP access and Searchable Archives as well. Please see this note before posting to the newsgroup.

Python C++-Sig (for Boost.Python)

The Python C++-sig is not strictly Boost-specific, but nearly all the traffic concerns Boost.Python. See also the Language Binding list below. GMane provides NNTP access and Searchable Archives as well. Please see this note before posting to the newsgroup. There are also searchable archives at ASPN.

Language Binding

The Language Binding list is for discussion of a generalized framework for binding C++ to other languages and systems based on the technology of Boost.Python and Luabind. The plan is to provide a single front-end for describing bindings with runtime-pluggable back ends for binding to specific languages. It is highly recommended that new subscribers read through the message history from the beginning before posting; it will save time as much design progress has already been made. GMane provides NNTP access and Searchable Archives as well. Please see this note before posting to the newsgroup.

Boost.Spirit lists

Spirit has two additional mailing lists. Spirit-general for Spirit users and Spirit-devel for Spirit developers (open to anyone who wishes to hang out with Spirit coders). Both have GMane NNTP access (Spirit-general and Spirit-devel) with searchable archives ( Spirit-general and Spirit-devel).

Boost.Documentation list

The SourceForge mailing list for the Boost Documentation System is located here. GMane provides NNTP access and Searchable Archives as well. Please see this note before posting to the newsgroup.

uBLAS development (ublas-dev) list

A seperate user and developer mailing list for Boost uBLAS specific topics is located here.

Testing list

The setup, procedures and tools necessary for running Boost regression tests are discussed on this list. The list main participants are regression runners - people who run Boost tests on a variety of compilers and platforms, and the maintainers of tools for collecting and processing test results.

Important: questions relevant to a wider audience, including questions about Boost.Test framework or test results for a particular library, should be posted to main development list.

NNTP access and Searchable Archives are available on GMane.

Boost Sandbox CVS

In addition to the main Boost CVS repository, a separate Sandbox CVS is available for Boost developers wishing to collaborate on projects prior to formal acceptance of a new library.  Read-only access is available via the web, or via CVS client at:

 :pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/boost-sandbox

For write access to the sandbox, contact the project admins listed on its Sourceforge Project Page.


Revised 14 September, 2004

Copyright Beman Dawes and David Abrahams 2001-2004

Use, modification, and distribution are subject to the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)