Software discussion

This page is monitored by the OLPC team.

Please copy/paste "{{Translationlist | xx | origlang=en | translated={{{translated}}}}}" (where xx is ISO 639 language code for your translation) to Software discussion/translations HowTo [ID# 34603] +/-

Overview

OLPC software is a set of carefully chosen and integrated linux applications, creating an innovative user environment.

Developers, you can help get Trial1 out the door right now:

Trial1 Software; Trial1 TODO

Overview - draft rewrite

OLPC software is a set of carefully chosen and integrated linux applications, creating an innovative user environment.

Basically, the laptop runs Red Hat linux with X Windows, with a novel Sugar user interface and support library, supporting a core set of "activities". Activities are programs which follow the OLPC Human Interface Guidelines. There is an emphasis on Python and GTK. Random linux software can be run too, but having a common and enabling user interface is nice, and requiring additional libraries (KDE, java runtime, whatever) is in tension with disk and memory limits.

You can

Get an overview
Play - there are a couple of options:
- Burn a LiveCd. This is perhaps simplest.
- Run an OS image in emulation. It runs a bit slow, but doesn't require burning a CD and rebooting.
- Install sugar. Requires some effort and time.
Create software
- Getting involved in OLPC; software ideas
- ...
Hardcore bug hunt
- Trial1 Software; Trial1 TODO
- http://dev.laptop.org/query
- Help upstream projects (see Getting involved in OLPC).

There are four flavors of software:

"Activities", written or ported to the Sugar user interface, and following OLPC interface. Some activities are listed in software components and software projects. They main languages are python and C. The standard libraries are listed in software components.
Code written for a programmable activity, such as squeak and its etoys, OLPCities(?), javascript(?), ...(?).
Linux software using the standard libraries listed in software components.
Any other linux software. Memory and disk space are constrained (256MB,1GB), so requiring additional libraries makes this a less attractive option.

Some Details

(This section needs to be updated)

Developers program

BTest Software

The BTest-1 Release Notes and BTest-2 Release Notes are required reading for anyone with BTest Hardware and Software
The OLPC Software Release Notes are also required reading.
BTest-1 Demo Notes describes some of the software on the BTest systems
All BTest systems should be upgraded to current software and firmware before use, since many problems have already been resolved since the machines were manufactured
Firmware releases are stored here.

Build images