View source for Library Release Notes, 2007

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We are just developing an OLPC library exchange to help existing repositories of content identify material for the XO;  and to  help national groups of academics, teachers, children and parents develop libraries of material in their languages.  The laptops currently come with content in a variety of formats that can be tried out on your XO out of the box, and we are developing display libraries that will automatically display materials and metadata for each format in a way that makes it easy to add and remix new items. 

Other release notes: [[Demo Notes]] (on how and what to demo), [[Hardware Release Notes]] ([[BTest-1 Release Notes|B1]], [[BTest-2 Release Notes|B2]]), and [[Software Release Notes]] -- these are all useful for understanding the system and what is available.  There are also general instructions on how to use the [[Sugar|Sugar interface]].  

The software and interfaces for creation are still in alpha test stages, and we are just forming links to archives and repositories with their own metadata and format needs.  Please refer to the [[Guidelines|OLPC Human Interface guidelines]] and [[Content|Content guidelines]] for a vision of how we would like to see the content and interfaces on the laptops to develop, and what we want interfaces into existing platforms and collections to look like for XO users.

We have been focusing on being able to read, write, and share materials in basic formats, and designing interfaces for children to editing and browsing these materials. Components still under development include a mesh view of who is working on what at any given moment, a reader/writer interface to editable material, and a distributed content store; all of which will read and parse simple metadata that helps track the source and attribution history of materials.  

While the sample library has many static sample materials for use in testing, these are intended as suggestions of what might be created, and how they might be browsed; our goal is to help children and teachers create their own libraries - and to identify materials that expose their construction, and that can be useful pieces in later work.  

If you create your own library sections and materials, or test it out in a particular setting, please let us know so that we can improve it. 


== Overview ==

Some great materials that have been developed are not linked from the laptop images; either because they are large collections, or because they require software not yet shipped with our builds.  We limited ourselves in the latest build to 80MB of samples.  A good library will include sections for bootstrapping, how-tos, projects & manuals; sample code, color, sound, shapes, and fonts; games and activities; pocket reference works and images; music, audiobooks, and video; and sample texts, including language, math, and science materials.

The latest stable build is build 303, and firmware Q2B61.  Please upgrade your firmware to Q2B84 all the same.

The current release candidate for the next stable build is '''build 368''', with firmware '''Q2B85'''. The release notes below apply to this release candidate.



== Materials left out of the build ==

There were materials developed specially for the upcoming trials which will be distributed on school servers and not in the build; and a few that will be added into the next stable build when we have a bit more space for the sample library.

=== For school servers ===
* [http://ejohn.org/apps/ebook/ crossmark ebookreader] - currently runs and renders on a school library, where the collection of crossmark books will reside
* '''UNICEF''''s hygiene and water sanitation application - currently wiki-based and will be hosted on a UNICEF server.  A light '''XO''' wiki-client is still to come; this may at first be separate from the journal, but will eventually be integrated.
* LearnThings.za lessons: 90 lessons for the target audience.
* A constellation of [[Etoys]]
* Various materials from educ.ar [pending license confirmations]
* Sea Studios website and videos: [http://www.pbs.org/kcet/shapeoflife/episodes/hunt_explo2.html The Shape of Life]
* Multilingual dictionaries from [http://omegawiki.org OmegaWiki] (50+ languages); and one of specialist Indian dialects
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle Moodle] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plone Plone] installations

=== Upcoming materials ===
The sample library on the '''XO''' is only an example of the materials people are developing for our open library exchange.  Some of the projects developing their own XO materials and collections, and planning to make them available online for download:

* Real Networks and the Oregon State open source geam has developed a [[Helix Media Activity]] that installs in three steps and can play almost any media format.
* The ICDL is preparing more picture books -- some with text separated from the images, for searching and localization
* A larger multilingual collection from the World Digital Library (they are launching an entire multilingual library over the summer; materials for the XO will come in stages)
* UNICEF's village storytelling activity, mentoring and education apps, all online collaborative projects with a limited on-xo activity component -- being used over the next few months on many platforms across Africa
* Children's videos -- both created on-XO and converted from archives
* Developers are working to get packages such as [http://gcompris.net/-pt- GCompris] and [http://www.pygame.org/projects/20/131/ PyGame] working on the XO

== Formats ==
The library and [[Sugar]] currently supports the following formats.  Note that other formats can be supported on the current build outside of [[Sugar]], but those are not considered here.

'''Text'''
* .txt, .doc, .abw : these formats can be read by abiword, and will launch it from the browser.  Abiword will write .abw files
* .pdf : this can be ready by xbook, which launches automatically from the browser when following a pdf.

'''Multimedia document with layout'''
* .html : parsed by the browser.  source will soon be viewable
* .pdf : read by xbook

'''Formatted text'''
* .xml, .rss : read by the browser, by penguinTV (as feeds)

'''Images'''
* .jpeg, .gif, .png - these can be viewed by many applications, including the browser
* .svg - 99% supported.

'''Music'''
<div style="float:right; font-size:66%">
The Helix player should support the following formats:
*  3GPP-Rel6 file parsing and 3GPP-Rel6 audio and video playback
* 3G2 audio depacketizers and QCelp decoder hooks
* AAC and aacPlus decoder/playback from .3gp, .m4a, .aac or .ra files and 3GPP, ISMA or ice-cast streams
* AMR-NB and AMR-WB audio playback from .3gp and .amr files and 3GPP streams
* H.261/263/264 video from standard RTP streams,.3gp files, standard H.264 RTP streams
* I420 video rendering
* MJPEG video playback from .avi files
* MP3 audio playback from .mp3 files, RTP streams and shout-cast streams; playlist parsing and playback
* Helix MP3 Decoder/Encoder
* MPEG1/2 file parsing, MPEG4 audio (no video) playback from .mp4 or .3gp files and ISMA or 3GPP 
* Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora (with some known problems streaming over RTSP).
* Uncompressed PCM from .wav, avi, .aiff or .au files and standard RTP streams
* PCM a-law and u-law from .wav, avi or .au files and standard RTP streams
* RAM metafile parsing and playback
* RGB video from .avi files
* RealAudio/RealVideo Codecs, playback from RealMedia file format and RealMedia streams
* RealEvents and RealImageMap, RealText from .rt files and RealText streams
* SDP file parsing
* SMIL1.0/2.0 multimedia
* Still images (JPEG, GIF, PNG, WBMP)
* Text - plain from .txt files
* TimedText from .3gpp files 
</div>
* csound : this will be playable by TamTam... currently its XO build doesn't provide a way to save or load sound files, however.
* .ogg : see other common audio formats below; can be played by Helix or Gstreamer, not part of the current build.
** .mp3, .wav : these can be played by Helix or Gstreamer, standalone or as a browser plugin, when they are installed
** .rm, .ra : this can be played by the Helix plugin when installed with a RealAudio codec.
*: Currently, audio files selected in the browser try to launch a player if it is present.

'''Video'''
* .ogg : can be played by Helix or Gstreamer, standalone or as a plugin.  these activities aren't in the current build, but there is a good [[Helix Media Activity|Helix activity]] that you can download in a few steps.  To play video, please download this activity along with some videos (see for instance [http://dev.laptop.org/pub/content/Library/media/PL_10_20_019w.mov this video]).
* .mpeg, .mov, .wmv, .rm : see above

'''Python'''
* The [[Develop]] activity will provide one way to view python files; the 'view source key' another

'''Javascript'''
* This will viewable the same way page source can be viewed through the browser.

'''Etoys projects'''
* .pr files automatically launch etoys from the browser.

== Sample Library ==
[[Image:Singapore-national-library.jpg|right|The Library of Congress showing off in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second Life Second Life] ]]
The current build ships with a small set of activities (paint, blockparty, slideshow, abiword, a newsreader, etoys, a browser, xbook, a calculator, tamtam, a camera app) and materials that ship with the laptop.  

The [http://dev.laptop.org/pub/content/library sample library] is currently divided into sections that are intended to be filled up with material created and downloaded by children and teachers in each country.  Its materials currently include books, images, music and sound, javascript activities, and hooks into collaborative projects and open content projects online.  The journal, when complete, will provide a similar interface and replace this browser view of the local library; a similar browser-based view will continue to be available to people without XOs looking at collections of materials for the project.  The current sample library is mainly in English and Spanish, with Arabic and Portuguese materials; other materials in the latter languages, as well as in Urdu and French, will be available soon.

=== books & reference ===
Including picture books, reference materials such as a picture dictionary or children's encyclopedia, stories and language learning materials.  Works here are drawn from the International Children's Digital Library, Wikipedia, BookBox, and the Logos dictionary and children's library.

=== math & science ===
Including math games, biology overviews, a periodic table, astronomical charts, or other similar matter.  Work draw from Frans Lanting and the E.O. Wilson Foundation.

=== images & maps ===
Including maps of the world, images of animals, the planet, and the skies, and photographs from museums and cultural collections.  With works from the World Digital Library consortium.

=== music & video ===
Including sound and music files, audiobook recordings, animations, video taken with the XO camera, simulations, laptop screencasts, and movie or television clips.  

=== activities ===
Including the software activities on the XO, intros to using the XO, projects to work on for children or their families, and games of all sorts -- constructive, solo or networked.  Includes eToys and Javascript games, and how-tos from WikiHow.  should include links to Block Party as well, once that is enabled.

=== web links ===
With a list of search engines (starting with Google) and a select group of links (waiting for another refining pass before adding to the build).

=== uniwiki ===
A set of projects sponsored by UNICEF, in search of a better name... 'uniwiki' is only temporary.  The projects include a water & environment project to share information about improving water quality and the enviornment in one's town, a village-storytelling activity that involves taking photographs and video recordings of oneself and one's family, an HIV/AIDS outreach project, a mentoring project that pairs mentors with children from their homeland, and a self-directed education project especially for children in post-conflict regions.

These are being developed in Spanish and in English.

=== sesame workshop ===
A collection of videos from Plaza Sesamo, Alaa Simsim, Takalani Sesame, and other sesame series, each scheduled for use in demonstrations in April.

== School library ==

There will be [[school server specification|school]] and regional libraries that feed the individual XO libraries, and that eventually provide a way to pull down and push up modules as a child finds new interesting things or loses interest in older ones.  We are developing a better idea of what the school libraries will include in each country, based on discussion with local teachers and groups.  Among other things, these libraries will have larger collections of PDF and HTML and spoken books, global and stellar maps, television and other videos, cartoons, music collections, and images; as well as multilingual Wikipedia and dictionary snapshots.

Suggestions for school library contents and priorities are always welcome, as every use case helps us test another aspect of the distributed network.  A good place to leave these notes is on the [[Talk:Library|library]] page.

=== Maps ===
Maps from NASA's world satellite map collection (O(1TB) in all), the Rumsey collection (15,000 historical maps), and of space, thanks to Hubble and other massive telescopes, are all available.  Suitable subsets can be cached on each school server.  A tiered map distribution system will need to be set up to properly allow for map queries to pull down details around a region of interest, and push up geo-annotated data.

=== Video ===
Media collections from science and documentary archives, and from children's television programs such as Plaza Sesamo, belong on school and regional servers.  In general, full-length films and longer television episodes will be streamed to an XO from a school library or other server.

=== Books ===
Collections of books matched with a specific reader -- pdfs with the ''xbook'' activity, [[crossmark]] books with the [http://ejohn.org/apps/ebook/ ejohn ebookreader] -- will be distributed across a school.  Larger collections will be stored on the school library; on of the small [[XS Server Specification|servers]] can hold 10,000 books.