Task:2010 Agenda

(One place to track feedback)
(Bug tracking future plan: moved to a page)
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::''What I had understood (without reading and thinking much, I reckon) was a single click thingy for developers to upload updated packages in Garage and in a single click get the packages in extras and the update reflected in the Downloads section. Now I see that the request is probably about something different and what I'm thinking of is perhaps a bit too much for the next 100 Days. Should we move this then to 2010 Agenda under a generic "Garage-extras-Downloads integration"?''--[[User:qgil|qgil]] 20:11, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
::''What I had understood (without reading and thinking much, I reckon) was a single click thingy for developers to upload updated packages in Garage and in a single click get the packages in extras and the update reflected in the Downloads section. Now I see that the request is probably about something different and what I'm thinking of is perhaps a bit too much for the next 100 Days. Should we move this then to 2010 Agenda under a generic "Garage-extras-Downloads integration"?''--[[User:qgil|qgil]] 20:11, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
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== Bug tracking future plan ==
 
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* It's unclear where to report problems about packages found in the application catalog.  A single bug tracker is needed, or at least a catalog that would redirect the user to the appropriate tracker from a common start page.  Or we could set up a "maemo" distribution on launchpad.net, which would let us integrate with the bug trackers of individual packages.
 
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:''Nokia is open to discuss any possibility of integration of maemo.org with third parties i.e. ITt and also using any external service i.e. launchpad.net. We can commit to overall plans for the 100 Days exercise but not on execution. Having a better and common understabnding of how this steps would fall in the 2010 Agenda would definitely help to see what are the right first steps.--[[User:qgil|qgil]] 07:45, 2 June 2008 (UTC)''
 
== Proposal to maintain legacy ==
== Proposal to maintain legacy ==

Revision as of 10:52, 24 July 2008

Image:Ambox_notice.png
This task is in the list of maemo.org development proposals, please help planning and getting it ready for a sprint. Put a note on the talk page if you're interested in helping work on this task.
Please see the talk page for discussion.

Help defining the maemo.org 2010 Agenda. This is taken to mean the vision the community has for the state of maemo in 2010.

  • Please login before making any changes. Thank you.
  • Please keep things on-topic.
  • Hardware requests are entirely out-of-scope and will be removed by community members trying to keep this page focused and on-topic.
  • Software requests which would be trivial for a third party to provide—or are already on the roadmap—are out-of-scope and will be removed by community members trying to keep this page focused and on-topic.
  • Discussion of the 2010 Agenda should be held in the discussion page.
  • If you miss a proposal make sure it is not being developed at Maemo.org 100 Days Action Plan before posting it here.

Contents

Agreed objectives

Please create own pages for each.

Release soon & often

Main article: Objective:Release soon and often

Public releases of Maemo while it's being developed.

qgil coordinates this objective.

One place to track feedback

Main article: Objective:One place to track feedback

bugs.maemo.org to get Nokia developers involved as well as the consolidated community projects.

IdeaStorm

  • As suggested here and here, set up an IdeaStorm for maemo to cover:
    • Software ideas larger in scale than Bugzilla enhancement requests, in particular, acting as a focusing agent for Bugzilla enhancement requests (e.g. IdeaStorm brainstorming session -> multiple Bugzilla enhancement requests).
    • Hardware requests outside the scope of Bugzilla.
Isn't this more of a 100 Days action?--qgil 08:54, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
I think it's quite a big task, if you want it to be user-friendly, and with a voting system that provides useful feedback -- FelipeC 12:43, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

This objective is now listed in the maemo.org development backlog. Oskari from Nemein pushes but you can help out already today.

Documentation

  • See Edd Dumbill's appraisal of developer.gnome.org:
    • Audience - clearly separate documentation for tablet users, application developers and core platform hackers
    • Provide tutorials and quizzes for core API components
    • API documents and tutorials should be dated to make it clear whether they are current
    • Editor - ensure that the content is maintained, coherent, correct
    • Content - identify resources which are necessary and have them written
    • Evangelism - we need to have more ISDs creating software for maemo, and an outreach program is needed

--dneary 15:57, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

This objective is now listed in the maemo.org development backlog. Nemein pushes but you can help out already today.

Standards

The development for mobile devices forces the developers today, to focus on one target platform with one existing device. To give maemo a future, it will be essential to apply to existing standards, as well as work with other mobile projects to create new standards, wherever possible. Beyond the principal commitment to the GNOME Mobile stack and freedesktop.org standards, we have to formulate and support APIs and services for accessing and controlling the system functionality. Maybe a standardized DBus API currently rising at FreeSmartphone.org would the the right way.

maemo developer resources

  • Better localization guidelines for new and existing Developers.
    • Keep focused on the core of the project
    • Stay unified and work out the details later
    • Focus every module in a step by step instead of a free for all
    • Delegate. Newcomers need the experience.
It is sensible to introduce a point about community Localization in the 2010 Agenda: what is expected, what would be ideal. The discussion and specific planning would be better in a specific page, though.--qgil 09:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
  • Documentation System. (Help system???)
    • getting started is way to difficult and will detour many great minds
    • outsource to the blogger types in the group
      • voice record "dictate to the typers"
      • video and slide w/audio help for many
    • cut out the opinions where are the real facts (make an easy to find location)
    • Clearer UI guidelines for 3rd party developers.
Introducing newcomers to the platform is definitely a core case, since we expect lots of them coming. And not with a Linux and open source background necessarely. Again, what is expected and ideal, then the details to be worked out in separate pages.--qgil 09:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
  • Development Framework. ???
  • Better GPS resources. (GeoClue???)
  • Development Tools and Utilities for Linux, OS X and Windows.
    • GUI development package (reduce learning curve)
    • Better feedback on testing of packages
    • make simple system for ideas to be tried
    • Better emulator on PC. Comes with most default applications of NIT and is based on a newer QEmu (at least one that supports Virtualization Extensions).
  • Better modern native languages support - like Vala and D. && how to build a hello world app in C++/Vala in 10 minute (no more!)
Let's take what is relevant of these points for the maemo.org community and online infrastructure. For instance "Better feedback on testing of packages" and "make simple system for ideas to be tried".--qgil 09:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Ship high level building blocks

  • Think of media server, VoIP, contact lists, camera, GPS localization. Currently developers only have the low level API's, while mostly they just want a widget that displays the mentioned data and listen to user interaction signal or device signals. This also makes these functionalities look the same in all applications using them
This is out of scope in the 2010 Agenda call. API and developer offering in general will improve and we might organize similar a similar brainstorming for that.--qgil 09:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Create a repository for user-created images

  • Make the process of creating and distributing custom images for tablets easy
  • Provide infrastructure for users to upload their own hacked-together images
  • Provide documentation on creating flashable images to users
  • Make it as easy as possible to flash removable drives, and boot from removable drives

This is a great idea, I would love to download a "media player" or a "games machine", or a "productivity tablet", etc., without worrying about downloading each individual package. The only problem I would see with this is in losing pre-existing settings and files and programs. I guess this would be more for deployment on new machines than updating an old one --mee 05:44, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

Eliminate porting and allow synchronisation with upstream distributions

A massive challenge and limiting factor for maemo is the lack of software that has been ported. A great goal for 2010 would be to work out how to allow direct use of repositories from an upstream distribution (e.g. Debian testing armel) so packages do not have to be ported at all. Initially this might only be for command line utilities, developer utilities, libraries, etc -- leaving GUI applications for a later phase. There would still be a need for some ported packages, and some maemo-specific repositories to contain them, but the "long tail" of less frequently used packages would be made available.

Once this has been achieved, and a large number of packages are available, maemo should be able to be updated from the repositories chosen by the user: some users may choose to keep in sync with Debian stable, others with testing and some even with unstable. This means that all packages (including system core packages like libc) need to be able to be updated (possibly with disclaimers). Nokia could choose to create Nokia-specific versions of some core libraries if they want to avoid risk of library changes.

A further stage (probably beyond 2010) would be to work out how to allow kernel upgrades, without necessarily having to sacrifice the closed-source drivers for key hardware! This could, for example, involve having a (limited) set of kernels available, with key closed source components rebuilt for them by Nokia, but not tied to ITOS release schedules.

The goal is to make the platform as useful as Debian is today, at least for those who do not insist on 100% openness.

Becoming the best-in-class community for innovation on mobile devices running Linux

What does it take to become the de-facto community to innovate open source for Linux-based devices? Obviously, we are not alone when it comes to development on Linux on mobile devices. Development communities for Android platform and LIMO platform are likely to grow in the next 2 years. So, how do we ensure that we keep on getting the greatest brains to our community? Only through continuous growth and fresh community members from around the globe we can ensure that we get new ideas and new challenges from which we all can learn. Only through continuous learning we can create better software and better user experiences.

So again, what does it take to be a major force in open source for Linux-based mobile devices?

  • a vision, a strategy, and mid-term objectives for the community
  • clear and transparent rules of engagement and recognition of contributions in the community
  • a virtual meeting place i.e. maemo.org but also community events for people to meet in person
  • a powerful core operating system incorporating the latest versions of open source upstream projects
  • best-in-class open devices for rapid prototyping on latest hardware
  • easy to use tools to create, prototype, and rewrite applications on top of the SDKs
  • tools for contributors to software "below" the SDK to prototype and publish enhancements
  • strong ties with the other open source community projects
  • deep understanding of consumer behavior, preferences, and consumer trends in different cultures
  • a mechanism on how to deliver software from open source innovation to millions of consumers
  • based on a truly international point of view in design of device and software platform as well as community construction, internet communication is global rather than restricted in local region.

But at the end of the day, it's all about people, relationships and networks. The community needs to be able to maintain and extend the network between the people in an efficient, fair, and transparent way.

Only when we have in our maemo.org agenda 2010 answers on how maemo.org can contribute to these above mentioned requirements, then we can succeed to bring open source innovation to millions of people across the globe and change their lives.--peterschneider 10:03, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Something like this is a good start to define the vision and core objectives of this 2010 Agenda. This is where the strategic minds in the community should think big and deep to set the scope and goals they wish for maemo.org.--qgil 09:49, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Target groups analysis

Nice summary by Peter. Here are some analysis tables to try which might to help identify concrete tasks to get the best of people, relationships and networks (of course the tables are likely not complete) --Framstag.

So who are the people were are interested in to join the group? Who are the people that might be interested in the device?

  • Developer
    • Wants to reuse existing infrastructure => Try to better integrate with portals like www.sf.net and similar. Perhaps in the end www.mameo.org is just an anaggregator for other sides?
    • Documentation, Examples, Development enviroment
    • Looking for co-developers, loking for porters => resource market
    • Subgroup "Gtk/Gnome developer"
      • Wants to reduce porting => Identical APIs
    • Subgroup "Foreign toolkit developer"
      • Wants to better integrate their application into the platform => Have two layer APIs, one that does not depend on Gtk libraries (or at least Gtk Event loop) and one that builds on top of that layer using Gtk/Gnome primitives.
    • Subgroup "Game developer"
      • Wants more GUI power
      • Wants distribution channels
      • Wants (hardware) basics for new ideas and alternative games ideas
    • Subgroup "Open Source activists"
      • Have everything open
    • Subgroup "Commercial developers"
      • Require comerical support
  • Software Porters
    • Wants to reuse existing aproaches and solutions for the big distributions
    • Would like to reduce changes to application, because developers is already prepared (screen resolution, network specifics) => push extended APIs upstream. Make thinks easier.
  • Customizer (people reselling a hardware/software variant of the device, OS, GUI)
    • Wants the distribution modifyable from ground up => Make things available, more open, document more processes and tools
  • Add-on Hardware suppliers
    • Wants hardward documentation
    • Wants more interfaces
  • User
    • Private person with no special interest (likely EMail, browser, calendar, adressbook, chat and some small games)
    • Business User (Needs PIM inkl. Synchronisation (important!) and Office, MS compatibility is a must)
    • Surfer (Uses the Device as primary or secondary browser, possibly also for EMail)
    • Linux Advocat (needs ports of all the common Linux Tools)

Software group analysis

  • Desktop ports
  • Mobility specific software (GPS, Chat, Syncing)
  • Games
  • Multimedia

Future trends analysis

So where is the market going?

  • Memory is cheap
  • Ergonomics
  • Mobility
  • Synchronisation
  • Convergence
  • Education - http://wiki.sugarlabs.org, Tutorials and other educational tools built-in, such as complete man pages

End-user software wishlist

Main article: Software wish-list

Software requests are really out-of-scope and not relevant to this brainstorming session. Please see the main article.

Sell community efforts to consumers to bring consumers to the community

The maemo community is challenged by Nokia's need to succeed on the market. Not a unique position, but somehow strange for an open project. Right now IMHO, the output is by far not visible enough to average end users, which in turn means few users are likely to become active community members in the future. "Selling" the achievements of the community is crucial: End users need to know the potential of their devices and need to become a little curious so that some of them end up being active community members. Existing problems are known: software distribution, localisation of maemo.org, communication, …

The one site for end users

To address those problems, I suggest to basically leave things as they at maemo.org but use a totally different site to showcase to first time users what the community achieves. This could well be Tableteer (which would have to be improved drastically, though!), meaning that Nokia would have to play an active role and there's little room for community input. It could also be (preferred) a Nokia funded community page or a sub-project of maemo.org, provided that Nokia really directs users there. The point is to have it

  • localised (the way we treat non English-speaking customers is incredibly bad ATM)
  • feature selected downloads with whole articles
  • offer short and superficial "How-To"- and "Did You Know?"-style articles and tablet-optimised videos, always including "Where to find more software"
  • syndicate everything from the high-quality extras-repository in a list with screenshots, localised descriptions etc.
  • link to further community resources, preferably those in the language currently requested by the user agent if available

In short: It should be friendly, understandable, deliberately incomplete, offer only the very best the community can give at any time. Above all, it should make users want more and make users want to know more. This should help take the strain from maemo.org about localisation, how to present software etc. - maemo.org can then safely focus on developers and very advanced users.

Yes, all true. As you say this is homework for Nokia and it should be out of maemo.org in order to guarantee community independence and freedom to do things (even wrong or broken things) in this context. There have been some steps in the consumer marketing directions i.e. Tableteer or http://nokia.com/os2008 . More needs to be done and the community aspect of maemo is one of the things that should be stressed as a unique offer for end users beyond the device they bought and the software that came with it. This task is already in our plans, thank you for your input on that.--qgil 09:11, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
Good to hear it is on the agenda! Pls. just reconsider the matter-of-factly "this is homework for Nokia"-part. It can be, yes, but so far, they didn't come up with very useful solutions. After 3 years (or five, talking about 2010) it could be time for the community to step forward and present itself better. -- ossi 11:20, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Moved from the 100Days

These proposals weren't pre-agreed for the 100Days action plan and have been moved here for further discussion. Please help defining, approving or discarding them.

Garage improvements

  • Implement some sort of automated single-click push-to-Downloads for Garage projects.
Interesting idea. What about the feasibility? Niels? Ferenc? In any case integrating Garage with Downloads make a lot of sense, and the question is whether this would fit in the 100 Days or later.--qgil 06:59, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
I think we need to prevent (the need for) single file download as much as possible, but rather provide a way of uploading those packages into the extras repository directly from garage. This way people can also download the applications from the Application Manager. --xfade 13:20, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
More generally speaking, maybe something like single-click (or two, or three, or a dozen, but you get the picture) project management from Garage for everything? —generalantilles 16:09, 2 June 2008 (UTC)"
What I had understood (without reading and thinking much, I reckon) was a single click thingy for developers to upload updated packages in Garage and in a single click get the packages in extras and the update reflected in the Downloads section. Now I see that the request is probably about something different and what I'm thinking of is perhaps a bit too much for the next 100 Days. Should we move this then to 2010 Agenda under a generic "Garage-extras-Downloads integration"?--qgil 20:11, 4 June 2008 (UTC)


Proposal to maintain legacy

  • Put together a plan of action for moving forward with a community-maintained Hacker Edition (based on what Quim said here)
Having a specific proposal agreed by the community would definitely help.--qgil 07:50, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Increase End-User Involvement

  • Allowances need to be made to elicit and encourage feedback from non-technical users. User complaints and ideas need an outlet if maemo is to stay relevant as anything other than an obscure hacker's project. Quality Assurance needs to center on the users' needs, not the developers'. This type of QA is vital, but thankless. It should be determined what resources Nokia is willing to contribute to such an effort, given the difficulty in getting developers to voluntarily see such an effort as a high priority.

-3 configs- --hacker --gamer --communicator

make a device that fits those requirements exactly and you have a perfect tool. The only problem is to reach that level of quality, you need intensive user feedback, The best way to elicit such feedback, is to concentrate on a non-technical application. Gamer is the best example. If you can host a number of good applications, like tuxpaint or Wesnoth, the application depth alone would make the device indispensable. Make the best portable chess computer, with a deepfritz engine, and you've achieved an incredibly powerful tool.

timeframe - 12-24 weeks (adding timeframe, because ultimately decisions will be made based on man-hours available and men available. Budgets are a necessary part of any successful project)