This article provides a comparison between Trac and Redmine, two project management software options. The purpose is to evaluate their recent experience and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each system. The requirements for the comparison include support for svn/dcvs, document management, ticketing, bug tracking, wiki/internal blog, multiple project support, easy installation, and minimal plugin dependency.

In terms of features, Trac lacks built-in support for several version control systems that Redmine supports, and they also have different Wiki syntax. Additionally, Trac’s configuration is easier to manage through plain-text files, while Redmine requires editing source code for certain configurations. However, Redmine has missing wiki features and lacks spam protection compared to Trac.

Regarding installation and setup, both systems are relatively easy to install. Trac faced issues with setting up multiple projects, while Redmine had problems with prerequisites. Trac also lacks an easy backup process, whereas Redmine requires separate backups for configuration, files, and database content.

Overall, Trac offers a larger number of plugins, but both systems have concerns with orphaned plugins. It is also worth considering Phabricator as an alternative, which provides built-in workflow for code review. It is important to note that Trac’s development has slowed down, and orphaned plugins are a concern.

Comparison

In terms of features and installation, Trac and Redmine differ in their support for version control systems, ease of configuration management, availability of wiki features, backup processes, and plugin availability.

Trac lacks built-in support for many version control systems that Redmine supports. Additionally, Trac and Redmine have different Wiki syntax.

Trac’s configuration is easier to manage as it uses plain-text files, while Redmine requires editing source code for certain configurations. However, Redmine has missing wiki features and lacks spam protection compared to Trac.

Trac provides better multiproject support and allows for separate backups and configurations for each project. Trac also has a larger number of plugins available, including integration with various tools such as Doxygen, Jenkins, Latex, and BibTex. However, both Trac and Redmine have plugin systems, and orphaned plugins can be a concern for both platforms.

Features

Features of both systems can be compared in terms of their VCS support, wiki syntax, configuration management, spam protection, multiproject support, availability of plugins, installation process, and ticket workflow.

Trac lacks built-in support for many VCS that Redmine supports, while Redmine integrates support for Git, Mercurial, etc.

Trac and Redmine also have different Wiki syntax.

Trac’s configuration is easier to manage as it uses plain-text files, while Redmine requires editing source code for certain configurations.

However, Redmine has missing wiki features and lacks spam protection compared to Trac.

Trac provides better multiproject support and allows for separate backups and configurations for each project.

Trac has a larger number of plugins available, including integration with Doxygen, Jenkins, Latex, BibTex, etc.

Both Trac and Redmine have plugin systems, but orphaned plugins can be a problem for both.

Installation and Setup

The installation and setup of both project management systems have their own challenges and considerations.

Trac’s installation process involves downloading tar-balls and lacks a make-file, which can make it slow and painful. It also lacks an easy backup process.

On the other hand, Redmine’s installation is not easy, and the GitHub repository is unstable. It also requires separate backups for configuration, files, and database content.

Trac had issues with setting up multiple projects, while Redmine had problems with prerequisites.

Despite these challenges, both systems can be installed relatively easily and straightforwardly. However, it is important to note that Trac’s development has slowed down, and orphaned plugins are a concern, which may impact its long-term usability.