Nepomuk constraints

[Thomas Pfeiffer]

Hi all,
after using PA1 for a couple of days productively (for reading
scientific papers while on the train), I noticed some effects of our
heavy reliance on Nepomuk that I think we need to find a workaround for
in PA2, namely startup and indexing.

1. The fact that it takes a very long time until file resources are
available after boot is quite annoying, especially since there is no
indication why the're not there.
As a user not knowing how Nepomuk works, I would freak out every time I
boot and my carefully configured activities all seem to be empty except
for plasmoids. And I'd freak out even more if I tried to re-add the
resources only to find that they are seemingly gone (!).
Being someone who does know only very little about Nepomuk and Strigi, I
ask myself: Why does it take so long to get the files ready on every
boot? Shouldn't they only have to be indexed once and then be instantly
ready?
So we need to either
1. Get resources that have already been indexed ready much faster on
subsequent boots (much preferred if possible in any way)
2. Show a placeholder at activities where resources are connected which
are not ready yet, indicating they need to be loaded first
The current situation will create a lot of confusion for novice users
and quite some annoyance for advanced users (the device is practically
unusable for the first few minutes if your activity is based mainly on
documents or pictures)

2. Take a probably very common usecase: I use my device (of course not
plugged to a socket since it's a mobile device) and I get a new file
from the internet or a usb stick (the latter won't happen for novices in
PA1 since there is no file browser, but in PA2 we'll have one). I want
to connect it to an activity, but it doesn't show up.
I remember that there was something about indexing, so I wait. And wait.
And wait. And wonder why it's still not there.
True story: After trying several things to get my damn files indexed
(including deleting the nepomuk database but except plugging the device
in, since I was on the train and then at work where I don't carry my
adaptor) I finally resorted to deleting the .kde folder. Which, in turn,
got me into _serious_ trouble ;)
Long story short: It is a problem that new files won't get indexed
without mains power because Strigi is suspended, again causing lots of
confusion for users who don't have pretty deep knowledge of Nepomuk and
Strigi.
I have explained it in the FAQ now, so if we're lucky, users will find
that information and won't suffer the same fate as I did (having to
reinstall PA in the end because where I currently temporarily live the
WiFi just won't work with the Wetab), but for PA2 we need to get new
files indexed while on the go, because that's what users will be doing.

Sorry if I sound overly negative here, but I'm sure that normal users
will be bothered by things like these a lot more than I am.

Looking forward to seeing these issues fixed (or worked around),
Thomas