fidzu : KDE

One of the things I would like to have working well in Plasma NM is DSL support. Unfortunatelly, I do not have easy access to any DSL provider so I cannot test the current support for DSL in Plasma NM. I do not even know if the support really works. I asked if it works in the bug entry about DSL support and only one person has answered saying it works so I assumed it does work.

Last week I was surffing the web and stumbled accross this post in a Brazilian forum (it is Brazilian Portuguese) explaining how to set up a DSL connection in Plasma NM. Basically Plasma NM really works with DSL, which is great, but there is a catch: you need to disable the auto-connect option for the wired connection that uses the same device that the DSL connection uses. Explaining: DSL works over ethernet (more common), wifi, and maybe over other devices. When the device (ethernet) is meant to be used with DSL you must disable the auto-connect feature in the wired connection associated to that device. First create a system DSL connection:

In the Ethernet tab restrict the connection to a specific ethernet device. If you have more than one ethernet device do not be afraid, the "eth0" below is just an user-friendly way to select the device, what Plasma NM really uses is the device's MAC address. If for example you have eth0 and eth1 in your system, then you restrict to eth0 but for some reason the system swaps eth0 for eth1, Plasma NM is smart enough to see that and it will automatically change the configuration to eth1.

Click on "Edit", the edit dialog will appear. Go to the connections's "Ethernet" tab and disable "Connect automatically" and check "System connection" to allow the system (NetworkManager) to use the connection without you need to open a KDE session first:

Save the configuration by clickling on the Ok button and try to connect. You can check if it is connected in Interface Details for the wired connection (I got this screenshot from the forum, that is why it is in Brazilian Portuguese):

Notice the "Nome do sistema" field (System name) showing "ppp0", that means the connection is really active.

For some reason nm-applet does not require changing the wired connection configuration, which sounds reasonable. But without a connection to test it will take me time to figure out how to make that work. Until then DSL users can use the configuration above.

05 Feb 2012 3:20pm GMT

Hello everybody!

Dark picture with Ângela, me, Mara and Francisco

We realized the RP of KDE 4.8 on January 27 in Teresina/Brazil! It was a night of pizza, beer and KDE. And look what we did:

Gifts KDE

We hope these gifts will spread around the world!

04 Feb 2012 6:55pm GMT

Hello all KDE and Words fans

Sorry for being out of touch in recent times….i know i was not able to blog much…but the waits finally over!!
I have modified the Statistics Docker in Calligra Words so that the UI is now more user-customizable.Basically the old docker had a combobox with an auto-update button wherein you could choose only one kind of statistics out of Words/Sentences/Chars. With Spaces/Without spaces etc…But what about the use cases where we need two or more statistics to be tracked at the same time?Like if you are a newbie journalist and want to give in a centre-fold article within an hour's deadline?It wouls be very,very inconvivient to just keep switching various options and see the word count.So all this fueled a detailed discussion between me and a few other Calligra and Words Developers at the Calligra fall Helsinki Sprint in Finland.The idea is:
1)To initially have all statistics being updated…but once the user wants to track only specific statistics,he/she can choose only those fields to be visible in the docker.
2)Bye-Bye to the autoupdate button…it has now been replaced by a QTimer that refreshes data every 20 ms or so…
3)KConfig saves user-customization and takes care each time the document is loaded…so you wont have to customize all over again.

So now thats that been smoothly done…i attach a few screenshots of the new UI and want suggestions and feedback from all the users/developers/communities…..all improvements are welcome as the ultimate Goal is user-satisifiability and about feeling good when you use any software .And thanks to all Words devs especially Boemann for helping me out with this

New Improved UI

The code can be found in my branch words-statistics-shreya….and bye for now guys…am really sleepy
But I promise more news from my side in the KDE World soon…!!

04 Feb 2012 6:31pm GMT

04 Feb 2012 6:10pm GMT

Ferris has extended its claws to allow the pastebin at http://paste.kde.org to be mounted. Since bash doesn't know libferris at all, without fuse you can use ferris-redirect to pipe information into any file that libferris can use as shown below (-T truncates like ">" in bash).

mkdir /tmp/test
cd    /tmp/test
date > df1.txt
cat df1.txt | ferris-redirect -T pastebin://kde.org/new/foo
...
 http://paste.kde.org/199754/

If you just have one file, then the "new" directory itself will act as a target too:

echo anyone, anyone... | ferris-redirect -T pastebin://kde.org/new
...
 http://paste.kde.org/199760/

And because everybody knows that key protected pastebins are the new red, the following will need to have "goodkeyhere" on hand to read the data back...

echo this is secret, dudes | ferris-redirect -T pastebin://kde.org/private/goodkeyhere
...
 http://paste.kde.org/199772/35847813/

The final directory is the "list" which contains virtual files allowing you to get a paste through the virtual filesystem. Of course, you could just fcat the http:// URL for the paste, but a nice tree is a nice tree.

fls  pastebin://kde.org/list/
... 199700
fcat pastebin://kde.org/list/199700

04 Feb 2012 12:36pm GMT

I have been passionate about Free Software for a long time now. My contributions have always revolved around helping people make amazing things happen and realize what they are really capable of. I've shown many people that small niche that just fits them perfectly and seen them grow from there and make a difference.
Along the way I've always come accross two problems:

1. "I can't do X (usually programming), how could I ever be useful to a project"
2. "This is so overwhelming, I don't even know where to start."

I've done a lot of things to overcome this but it wasn't ever enough somehow. Today I am at FOSDEM presenting a book, that will be another step towards fixing these problems. Today I am releasing Open Advice.

Open Advice is the result of the collaboration of more than 50 people from all across Free Software. It is a collection of short essays about key things the authors wished they had known when they started contributing to Free Software. It'll give a headstart to everyone who wants to contribute. It'll also be useful for existing contributors who want to know a bit more about other projects and areas of contribution.

The book is available as a paperback and free PDF and is licensed under CC-BY-SA.

What are you waiting for? Download the PDF version today or order a printed version.

Additional goodies: The LaTeX source is available and a bug tracker exists as well.

A year ago I started working on this project and today it is reality. If you're at FOSDEM I'm sure you can see me bouncing around with joy

04 Feb 2012 12:30pm GMT

(This is part 2 of the PyQt+WebKit experiments series)

In Part 1 I described how to embed WebKit in a PyQt application and how to expose PyQt objects in WebKit and manipulate them with JavaScript.

Even if you are a great JavaScript master, you can't avoid the occasional typo while writing JavaScript code in your application. This can be quite frustrating with QtWebKit because it likes to stay quiet: it won't tell you about any error.

Let's have a look at an example.

First here is loader.py, a simple Python script which loads a block of HTML:

import sys

from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
from PyQt4.QtWebKit import *

class Window(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Window, self).__init__()
        self.view = QWebView(self)

        layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
        layout.setMargin(0)
        layout.addWidget(self.view)

def main():
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = Window()
    html = open(sys.argv[1]).read()
    window.show()
    window.view.setHtml(html)
    app.exec_()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

And here is "broken.html", our broken HTML code:

<html>
<head>
<script>
function brokenFunction(arg1, arg2) {
    var result;
    result = arg1 * 2;
    result += arg2;
    resul /= 4;
    return result;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
Complex computation:
<script>
document.write(brokenFunction(2, 3));
</script>
</body>
</html>

Notice the missing 't' in "resul /= 4″?

The last-resort, grandpa-debugged-js-this-way, debugging tool is still there: the mighty alert() function. Just stuff your code with calls to alert() and be happy… Anyone ever wrote code like that?

<html>
<head>
<script>
function brokenFunction(arg1, arg2) {
    var result;
    result = arg1 * 2;
    alert("1");
    result += arg2;
    alert("2");
    resul /= 4;
    alert("3");
    return result;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
Complex computation:
<script>
document.write(brokenFunction(2, 3));
</script>
</body>
</html>

Easy enough, no? With the great alert() function we can quickly pinpoint the bug in our brokenFunction() is between alert("2″) and alert("3″).

Can we do better?

alert()-style debugging gets old very fast. Clicking that "OK" button is a pain. Fortunately, there is a way to get more useful feedback from our PyQt application.

The job of the QWebView class is to show the content of a QWebPage instance. By default QWebView creates its own instance of QWebPage, but it is possible to replace this instance with our own QWebPage. The QWebPage class has a few virtual methods. Among them, the javaScriptConsoleMessage() method is the one we are looking for: it is called every time console.log() is called from JavaScript.

Here is an implementation of WebPage which uses Python logging module to get JavaScript console messages out:

import logging

from PyQt4.QtWebKit import *

class WebPage(QWebPage):
    """
    Makes it possible to use a Python logger to print javascript console messages
    """
    def __init__(self, logger=None, parent=None):
        super(WebPage, self).__init__(parent)
        if not logger:
            logger = logging
        self.logger = logger

    def javaScriptConsoleMessage(self, msg, lineNumber, sourceID):
        self.logger.warning("JsConsole(%s:%d): %s" % (sourceID, lineNumber, msg))

And here is "loader-log.py", a loader which uses this class:

import os
import sys

from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
from PyQt4.QtWebKit import *

from webpage import WebPage

class Window(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Window, self).__init__()
        self.view = QWebView(self)
        self.view.setPage(WebPage())

        layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
        layout.setMargin(0)
        layout.addWidget(self.view)

def main():
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = Window()
    html = open(sys.argv[1]).read()
    window.show()
    window.view.setHtml(html)
    app.exec_()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

If we load "broken.html" with "loader-log.py" we get the following on stderr:

$ python loader-log.py broken.html
WARNING:root:JsConsole(undefined:0): ReferenceError: Can't find variable: resul

That should make it easier to find and fix our bug, even if we don't get very useful file names or line numbers.

javaScriptConsoleMessage() receives all console messages. This means our logger will also print out calls to console.log(). Here is "console-log.html":

<html>
<head>
<script>
function chattyFunction(arg1, arg2) {
    var result;
    result = arg1 * 2;
    console.log("result" + result);
    result += arg2;
    console.log("result" + result);
    result /= 4;
    console.log("result" + result);
    return result;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
Complex computation:
<script>
document.write(chattyFunction(2, 3));
</script>
</body>
</html>

When loaded with "loader-log.py", we get this output:

$ python loader-log.py console-log.html
WARNING:root:JsConsole(about:blank:5): result: 4
WARNING:root:JsConsole(about:blank:5): result: 7
WARNING:root:JsConsole(about:blank:5): result: 1.75

Not good enough?

Getting the output of console.log() is nice, but modern browsers have much more efficient tools: if you open "broken.html" with Rekonq and look at the output in the Web Inspector Console, you can not only see console output, but you can also easily inspect your HTML tree and many other things.

Like us, Rekonq uses QtWebKit, so is there a way to get a similar tool?

It is actually possible. Rekonq uses a class named QWebInspector. All that is necessary to get a nice inspector tool for our application is to:

1. Get the QWebView page
2. set the QWebSettings.DeveloperExtrasEnabled attribute on this page
3. Instantiate a QWebInspector
4. Pass the view page to the inspector

Here is "loader-webinspector.py", a new HTML loader which can show a web inspector when one presses F12:

import os
import sys

from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
from PyQt4.QtWebKit import *

from webpage import WebPage

class Window(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Window, self).__init__()
        self.view = QWebView(self)

        self.setupInspector()

        self.splitter = QSplitter(self)
        self.splitter.setOrientation(Qt.Vertical)

        layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
        layout.setMargin(0)
        layout.addWidget(self.splitter)

        self.splitter.addWidget(self.view)
        self.splitter.addWidget(self.webInspector)

    def setupInspector(self):
        page = self.view.page()
        page.settings().setAttribute(QWebSettings.DeveloperExtrasEnabled, True)
        self.webInspector = QWebInspector(self)
        self.webInspector.setPage(page)

        shortcut = QShortcut(self)
        shortcut.setKey(Qt.Key_F12)
        shortcut.activated.connect(self.toggleInspector)
        self.webInspector.setVisible(False)

    def toggleInspector(self):
        self.webInspector.setVisible(not self.webInspector.isVisible())

def main():
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = Window()
    html = open(sys.argv[1]).read()
    window.show()
    window.view.setHtml(html)
    app.exec_()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

The four steps I described are done in the "setupInspector()" method.

And here is "console-webinspector.html":

<html>
<head>
<script>
function chattyFunction(arg1, arg2) {
    var result;
    result = arg1 * 2;
    console.log("result: %d", result);
    result += arg2;
    console.warn("result: %d", result);
    result /= 4;
    console.error("result: %d", result);
    return result;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
Complex computation:
<script>
document.write(chattyFunction(2, 3));
</script>
</body>
</html>

It is similar to "console-log.html" but takes advantage of two new features which do not work with the previous approach:

• printf-style formatting: that is, printing the value of result with "result: %d", result, not "result: " + result
• log categorization: you can use console.warn() and console.error() to get different type of output. These methods worked with the previous approach, but the categorization was lost.

Loading "console-webinspector.html" with "loader-webinspector.py" and pressing F12 we get this:

Closing words

These two approaches should help you track down the nastiest bugs in your embedded JavaScript code. The Web Inspector approach is probably the most powerful one, but the Python logging approach can also be useful when tracking down bugs where it is more practical to have one single log output for both the PyQt and the JavaScript sides.

03 Feb 2012 5:17pm GMT

I ordered a new keyboard thin week, and today it finally arrived. But even though I'm a firm believer it free software, I bought the Natural Ergonomic 4000, made by Microsoft. It is about half the price of any comparable Logitech product available in Slovenia, despite it costing 50€. In comparison, the American Amazon sells it at 27$. This disparity (which is noticeable everywhere, but especially with tech products) made even more happy about Spark coming out first in Europe.

First thing I noticed, this thing is monstrous. My previous keyboard is rather old, so it's mechanical and larger than newer keyboards, but in pales in comparison with MS's product. The desk I use at home has a keyboard drawer, and it fits in perfectly, both in width and height (The keyboard has a large and elevated wrist-rest). My second thought, after trying to type on it, is that it's going to take some time getting used to it. Having been using the Dvorak layout for several years, I'm used to touch typing, but I've never tried a curvy ergonomic keyboard before. It's quite different, but I haven't used it enough to formulate any king of informed opinion.

And as to apologize for buying from Microsoft, I feel a comparison between our favourite evil empires is in order. In Slovenia, 50€ will get you this mighty keyboard with split keys, a soft wrist-rest, all kinds of shortcut button and a scroller between the key sets. On the other hand, this costs 75€:

I know that both are cheaper in USA, and even some places in Europe, but the ratio of their official recommended prices is similar. And still I have no doubt many people will claim how typing anything on the Apple product is so much easier and more comfortable. Sorry for turning this post into a rant, but it got me quite angry while shopping.

Ok, writing this post on the new toy went better than expected, now I'll get back to homework coding. Yes, I have to write code for school as well, but it also involves less interesting parts, like writing sentences. Ugh.

03 Feb 2012 3:23pm GMT

Every once in a while I add another piece of query optimization code to the Nepomuk Query API. This time it was a direct result of my earlier TV Show handling. I simply thought that a query like "downton season=2 episode=2" takes too long to complete.

Now in order to understand this you need to know that there is a rather simple QueryParser class which converts a query string like the above into a Nepomuk::Query::Query which is simply a collection of Nepomuk::Query::Term instances. A Query instance is then converted into a SPARQL query which can be handled by Virtuoso. This SPARQL query already contains a set of optimizations, some specific to Virtuoso, some specific to Nepomuk. Of course there is always room for improvement.

So let us get back to our query "downton season=2 episode=2" and look at the resulting SPARQL query string (I simplified the query a bit for readability. The important parts are still there):

select distinct ?r where {
  ?r nmm:season "2"^^xsd:int .
  {
    ?r nmm:hasEpisode ?v2 .
    ?v2 ?v3 "2"^^xsd:int .
    ?v3 rdfs:subPropertyOf rdfs:label .
  } UNION {
    ?r nmm:episodeNumber "2"^^xsd:int .
  } .
  {
    ?r ?v4 ?v6 .
    FILTER(bif:contains(?v6, "'downton'")) .
  } UNION {
    ?r ?v4 ?v7 .
    ?v7 ?v5 ?v6 .
    ?v5 rdfs:subPropertyOf rdfs:label .
    FILTER(bif:contains(?v6, "'downton'")) .
  } .
}

Like the user query the SPARQL query has three main parts: the graph pattern checking the nmm:season, the graph pattern checking the episode and the graph pattern checking the full text search term "downton". The latter we can safely ignore in this case. It is always a UNION so full text searches also include relations to tags and the like.

The interesting bit is the second UNION. The query parser matched the term "episode" to properties nmm:hasEpisode and nmm:episodeNumber. On first glance this is fine since both contain the term "episode". However, the property nmm:season which is used in the first non-optional graph-pattern has a domain of nmm:TVShow. nmm:hasEpisode on the other hand has a domain of nmm:TVSeries. That means that the first pattern in the UNION can never match in combination with the first graph pattern since the domains are different.

The obvious optimization is to remove the first part of the UNION which yields a much simpler and way faster query:

select distinct ?r where {
  ?r nmm:season "2"^^xsd:int .
  ?r nmm:episodeNumber "2"^^xsd:int .
  {
    ?r ?v4 ?v6 .
    FILTER(bif:contains(?v6, "'downton'")) .
  } UNION {
    ?r ?v4 ?v7 .
    ?v7 ?v5 ?v6 .
    ?v5 rdfs:subPropertyOf rdfs:label .
    FILTER(bif:contains(?v6, "'downton'")) .
  } .
}

Well, sadly this is not generically true since resources can be double/triple/whateveriple-typed, meaning that in theory an nmm:TVShow could also have type nmm:TVSeries. In this case it is obviously not likely but there are many cases in which it in fact does apply. Thus, this optimization cannot be applied to all queries. I will, however, include it in the parser where it is very likely that the user does not take double-typing into account.

If you have good examples that show why this optimization should not be included in the query parser by default please tell me so I can re-consider.

Now after having written this and proof-reading the SPARQL query I realize that this particular query could have been optimized in a much simpler way: the value "2″ is obviously an integer value, thus it can never match to a non-literal like required for the nmm:hasEpisode property…

03 Feb 2012 3:03pm GMT

It happened in São Carlos, on January 27th, the KDE 4.8 Release Party - the second time in this city.

It was time to meet friends, drink some beers, talk about KDE, the life, the universe and everything, and of course, drink more beer. This time I had time to install the new version of KDE on Mageia (thanks mikala!), to allow those who had not seen the new version, could do a test drive.

The rain interfered a little, but attended four brave comrades to celebrate the work of the entire ecosystem of free software that is KDE.

Left to right: Daniel, Rodrigo, Vitor e Filipe

For me, KDE 4.8 release is more special because it is the first time that I have a large contribution of software being distributed with the project. This is the backend for Scilab in Cantor, a result of my work in the Google Summer of Code 2011, which finally came to you computer, KDErs. Thanks to Scilab team, especially to my mentor Sylvestre Ledru.

But that's a topic to a future post.

03 Feb 2012 1:10am GMT

The alpha release for our development version, codenamed Precise, is available for download. Early testers can try it to provide feedback and bug reports. This is the first alpha for Kubuntu in the Precise series but the second from the Ubuntu family.

02 Feb 2012 11:48pm GMT

I'm going to attempt to answer as many questions about the Spark tablet as possible here. The questions I'll be answering are ones found in comments in my blog, on discussion sites around the Internet and that came in by email or irc. Let the fun begin!

Q: When can I buy one?
A: Pre-order registration will open early next week. This was one piece in the puzzle that was taking a bit longer than I had hoped for to come together, but it's finally slotted in and our distribution partner has got the necessary infrastructure settled. I'll lift the veil off of the pre-order and our distribution strategy when it goes live.

Q: When will Spark start shipping?
A: We expect to start shipping Sparks to you starting in May 2012. We have a lot of pieces to coordinate, and not just technical issues like the OS image and the content add-on store, but things like packaging design, manufacturing, shipping, import, retail channel coordination. So far we're on track, but I don't want to offer a more precise date than "May" until we pull the trigger on production.


Q: Where will it be available?
A: It will be available for order online worldwide. We will be focusing primarily on Europe first, but we will be able ship worldwide from day one. We are looking for retail partners elsewhere in the world: USA and Canada, South America, Australia, etc. to make it easier to procure.



Q: Can we customize the Spark for a specific use case, such as education, industrial control or vertical integration with an application?
A: Yes. The Spark is the perfect device for customization and project-specific integration. It is completely open and can be altered to suit your needs. We believe Spark to be the device most suited to adaptation for vertical applications available today. Depending on order volume, we can even ship Sparks to you with your customizations pre-installed and offer pricing incentives.


Q: Does it have a camera?
A: Yes, it has a 1.3 megapixel webcam on the front.

Q: What is the screen resolution?
A: 800×480

Q: What ports does it sport?
A: It has 2 USB ports, a microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and, of course, power.


Q: Does it have Wifi?
A: Yes, standard 802.11 b/g.

Q: Will it blend?
A: Yes, though this does void the warranty.

Q: Can I get one with built-in 3G and GPS?
A: Not in the first run of devices. We do plan on providing Spark models with 3G (BYOS: Bring your own SIM. ;) and GPS later.

Q: Can I get a Spark with higher-end hardware?
A: We are currently evaluating higher-end hardware options and intend to expand the product line over time. Our requirements are not simple, but we have already started to identify candidate systems. As with 3G, when this happens will be driven by market demand for Spark.

Q: How will software add-ons be delivered?
A: You will be able to use the standard Mer repositories as well as the Open Build Service. However, that's not overly person friendly (unless that person happens to be technically adept and familiar with Linux), so we are providing an add-on store from which people can easily download and install books, applications, desktop widgets and services .. with more to be added with time.

Q: I'm a developer and I'd like to write something for Spark; how can I do that?
A: We recommend QtQuick for applications targeting the Spark. There are also KDE libraries, including the Plasma framework, on the device. However, Spark is happy to support non-Qt apps. I play Battle for Wesnoth on mine. ;) Developers will have access to the add-ons store as well, so getting your apps to Spark users will be dead simple.

Q: So can I sell apps on Spark?
A: Yes, you will be able to sell apps and content to Spark owners. We will be announcing details and opening up developer registration a little closer to the Spark release.


Q: Is the add-on store Free software?
A: Yes, the client will be GPL'd from day 1 and we would love to see other people making products take advantage of that. The store is not Spark, Linux or even software specific. The back-end will be released as open source once we have proven the design and implementation in production circumstances (we have written it twice already, learning a lot of great lessons in the process). Should the projects fall over and die, however, we will release the source code immediately under a permissive F/OSS license.

Q: Can I make video calls with the Spark?
A: We do not expect to have Skype available on the Spark, though it might happen eventually. There is work on nice Plasma Active of Telepathy for this purpose however. It's even on the official Plasma Active 3 tasks list and if it is ready in time we will integrate it into the Spark OS image. Otherwise, video calling software that runs on Linux and builds on ARM should do the trick.

Q: Can I install / boot something on a Spark other than what ships with it?
A: Of course! However, if you break it, you get to keep both pieces. :)


Q: Can I install the OS on a different tablet?
A: Depends. Plasma Active already supports a variety of tablets. We don't have the resources to make it run on every bit of hardware out there, nor can the Spark effort focusing on polishing other device support at the moment. However, there are images for Intel based tablets as well as nVidia Tegra 2 and other ARM tablets available, and you can help by getting involved with the amazing Mer project. It is our hope that Spark will ignite interest in other vendors as well who will pick up the opportunity to increase the diversity of options. Yes, we're looking to grow what would traditionally called competitors. We see them as co-conspirators. ;) Welcome to the world of Open.

Q: Does Spark use the Android kernel?
A: No, for a few reasons ranging from legal to practical. While you can install Android on the device, we're very happy to support the Mer community and overjoyed with the support we've received from them in return.

Q: Can I run Android applications on the Spark tablet?
A: Not currently. (Though, of course, you could decide to install Android on it yourself.) It is theoretically possible to package a Dalvik runtime for Plasma Active and make it available on the Spark. No one has attempted this yet, but it would make for a killer project.


Q: Is the Spark based on the Zenithink C71?
A: Yes. The Internet is a clever bunch indeed. Took people all of about 5 minutes to figure that one out. :)


Q: Does that mean I will be able to install Plasma Active on a C71 device I purchased elsewhere?
A: Yes, that's all in the spirit of openness. However, if you break it, you get to keep both pieces. :) Keep in mind that by purchasing a Spark you will help drive development of Plasma Active, Mer and the push towards an open ARM ecosystem.


Q: There are no GPL compliant sources for the C71, right?
A: We are aware of this, and we've been working on it. It's been one of the hardest things to accomplish in the entire project.


Q: What about other projects also working on GPL compliant devices?
A: Yes, we are aware of such great projects as Rhombus Tech's work with Allwinner on their A10 chipset. (I have an A10 device on my desk right here, actually, and have been evaluating it for a few months.) There is more than just a chipset at play to make a tablet, but it's a critical first step. We're also aware of the Mali open source driver initiative, and take our hats off to Codethink and Luc for that! We are excited to see more and more Free software projects in the ARM hardware world. We've had Linaro for a while, but the concept of making low cost, widely available ARM devices from a variety of sources is only now beginning to take root. We will continue to evaluate all the possible solutions out there as we continue to develop Make·Play·Live devices. We are also committed to work with other projects working towards open devices. It will take all of us to bring openness to the device world and to make great devices for people to own and use on their terms.

I'm sure there are more questions floating about out there .. feel free to (re-)ask them in the comments below and I'll get to it. I hope my next blog entry on this matter will be to announce the pre-order registration URL! :)

02 Feb 2012 8:25pm GMT

As a hobby hacker I am excited that Android is open source. Yes, Android is open source, not open development. No one claimed otherwise and it hardly means it's all for naught. Open development for Android would be great, but the *fact* is that there are potential downsides including incompatible devices using unreleased code and fragmenting the ecosystem even more. It might not be a big deal for me personally, but I can certainly see how it could be big deal for others (including Android app developers). Pretending there are no downsides isn't being honest. No Honeycomb was not open sourced for good reasons AND Google was rightfully taken to task for it. Yes, both can be true. Ice Cream Sandwich is open source. I'm excited by the precedent that the success of Android set for device manufacturers to look more seriously at open source. I love that I have a hackable device in my hands with so much capability. I love that we'll be able to purchase a Spark with Plasma Active. I love the precedent that the Spark sets for future devices with a Free software stack.

We cannot be so myopic to pretend that unless we have everything, nothing matters. I love that the KDE community lives up to every one of those bullet points above in both words and deeds. Yes, no one gets a free pass and we must be uncompromisingly vigilant in pointing out to Google and others the specific areas they fall short. It is both this vigilance and the recognition we provide when companies do the right thing, that has gotten us to where we are today. However, these Tourette's-like outbursts declaring the end of the world is nigh, are actually counterproductive. Why? Because when we use the exact same words to describe far worse offenders, it drains those words of any meaning and it deprives the rest of the community of the rhetorical tools we need to fight for the goals of this movement.

02 Feb 2012 7:40pm GMT

Thanks to Mahfuzur Rahman Mamun (of column text selection GSoC fame) we can now search for words that have hyphens to split them between lines.

This is a new feature so it'll be only available with KDE 4.9.0

02 Feb 2012 6:50pm GMT

• Very good PHP skills
• Good skills of HTML5/CSS/JS
• Good skills of SQL
• Experience with the internals of ownCloud
• Experience with Open Source development
• Located in Germany or the U.S.
• Experience with enterprise technologies like LDAP, SAML, Clustering is a plus.

02 Feb 2012 4:51pm GMT

1. I would like to work for a company with business interests in several countries, not just Spain. I'm used to travel up to 75% of my work time and I'm open for relocation.
2. Since 2003 I've been fully involved in projects, non-profits and companies directly related with FLOSS. I would like to work for a FLOSS organization or an entity that would like to open its business to Free/Open Source Software models.
3. Although I studied Applied Physics (electronic), I'm not a technician. I have experience in the business and executive field. I also have experience as project/program manager and business developer.
4. Most of the people out of Spain know me because I'm involved in KDE, but my experience in FLOSS goes beyond desktops.
5. I've assumed a lot of responsibilities my entire professional career (since 1998), leading small companies, projects and business associations. I'm used to dealing with conflicts and tough situations that need to take risks and decisions.
6. The above do not mean I'm not a team player. I am. I've been part of high skilled teams in very technical projects up to political initiatives.

• identi.ca / Twitter: @toscalix
• IRC: toscalix (freenode.net)
• mail: toscalix (/at/) gmail (/dot/) com

Agustin Benito Bethencourt (Toscalix) Spanish Blog: http://abenitobethencourt.blogspot.com Linkedin profile: http://es.linkedin.com/in/toscalix

02 Feb 2012 4:13pm GMT