Talk:OLPC software task list

As the laptop is being developed we should also focus on bringing up the computer skills of the necessary trainers. Africa is basically a 'Windows' continent and finding a decent Linux tutor will be a task!

Look at http://laptop.media.mit.edu/2005-1213-olpc.html "A commercial version of the machine will be explored in parallel." I think that commercial world of rich countries can help diffusion of knowledge for this product and relatives. In a little bit of time we can have guides, hacks, tutorials, .., .., and much more helps for anyone in the world.

A parallel commercial distribution will help motivate open source programmers. Otherwise is difficult to convince them to write to a platform they will not see (development seeding will always be finite). --pdinoto

Customizing PuppyLinux for OLPC

PuppyLinux is a Linux distribution that can run the OLPC machine satisfactorily. What is needed now is to customize this OS for the laptop. The lead developer, Barry Kauler, may be reached at bkauler *at* goosee *dot* com. As soon as customization is done, translating the OS and preparation of training materials about (and using) the OS can get started. PuppyLinux forum is at http://murga.org/~puppy

Other uses of the laptops...

As I have suggested in the discussion of the main page of the Laptop Wiki... there are many other uses for the laptops in the hands of the parents and grandparents of the kids:

• Education for adults and senior Hobbies.
• Remote work.
• Health and Doctor services, as remote Doctors in Australia.
• JOBS FOR DISABLED & ELDERS: Working as Tutors / Advisors about Problems in: Homework & Study, Domestic & Familiar, Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Social, Tourist & Governmental activities, which might be given by disabled, elders, and parents of “special children”, using their Green PC´s or phones.

Some considerations should be made about the software for these activities. --201.138.240.65 00:08, 16 March 2006 (EST) dagoflores, AGS, MEXICO

We are hoping that by deploying an open platform on a communication-rich laptop that many of these sorts of activities will naturally emerge in a way they could not if, for example, the computers were only accessible at school. Of course, someone--you?--needs to lead by example! Walter 18:31, 2 May 2006 (EDT)

Where are extreme programming geeks and freaks? :-P

Well, i remember the first days of linux, when everybody was looking for killer apps. And many programmers make ultra short and ultra fast code to demostrate that linux will be the future enviroment for develop programs.

Where are these guys? We need the most cheap computer with the best, more fast and light weight software.

Where is the best place to recruit them? It's only my opinion, im reading a lot of lines about all plugins, programs and gadgets of the world, but nothing are really useful at least. Like a porsche more tunned than fantastic car.

I need feedback.

--Asmarin 06:40, 10 April 2006 (EDT)

DIY Programs

It would be intresting to gear this project to adults as well....say a cheap programing enviroment for them. I think it would be pretty intresting to sell it to people with the aim of fostering a software community in third world countries, aimed at helping themselves with a little push form the rest of the world. That way they create thier own software for this laptop.....

Anyone working on a Dev tutorial for this project?

Networking community engagement

The global connectivity of tens of thousands, growing to of order a million schools is a major challenge of network logistics. We must help spark the involvement of networking people all over the world to successfully scale to this level.

Take a look at Netsukuku. From its documentation:

  Netsukuku is a mesh network or a p2p net system that generates and sustains
  itself autonomously. It is designed to handle an unlimited number of nodes
  with minimal CPU and memory resources. Thanks to this feature it can be
  easily used to build a worldwide distributed, anonymous and anarchical
  network, separated from the Internet, without the support of any servers,
  ISPs or authority controls.
  This net is composed by computers linked physically each other, therefore
  it isn't build upon any existing network. Netsukuku builds only the routes
  which connects all the computers of the net.
  In other words, Netsukuku replaces the level 3 of the model iso/osi with
  another routing protocol.

  Being Netsukuku a distributed and decentralised net, it is possible to
  implement real distributed systems on it, e.g. the Abnormal Netsukuku Domain
  Name Anarchy (ANDNA) which will replace the actual hierarchic and
  centralized system of DNS.

For more information: http://netsukuku.freaknet.org

Keyboard: why not dvorak ?

I read the announcements on this page and see that the proposed keyboard are Qwerty or Azerty, the usual keyboard on most computer, and the one I use. But these were developped one century ago with key layouts that fitted the requirements of mechanical typewriters and were designed to slow down the typists. Some other keyboard designs have been introduced and the best of them for European languages, as far as I know, is the dvorak one. Why therefore not propose the OLPC with such keyboards as this would help the new users start with a keyboard with a good design ? --Npettiaux 04:09, 25 May 2006 (EDT)

SPAM, E-Mail, Messaging

With young people in the world e-mail is slowly going out of fashion - it is considered too formal and at the same time too SPAM-prone. They turn to massive instant messaging and web-based communication platforms like myspace and friendster. Both these technologies are typically proprietary. We can't and shouldn't keep anyone from joining in on this, but we can take our new users by the hand and offer them a friendly non-proprietary SPAM-unlikely technology to head out with, first. The obvious candidate would be Jabber, this raises questions though:

• Is the protocol too verbose for Real World Internet bandwidths?
• Can it be extended to serve as a spam-free E-Mail replacement?
• Does it have enough profiling and social networking fun aspects?
• Is it architected well enough to handle the load?

Myself I am working on a protocol which does address these issues, and is gateway-compatible to Jabber and E-Mail, but I wouldn't dare to say we're ready to step into these shoes. From an insider's point of view I know that using Jabber to these purposes will be tricky at best, too. --lynX 08:57, 25 May 2006 (EDT)