[Digikam-users] building it for non-free operating systems

[stefan at binaervarianz.de]

Hi Vlado,
>
> I'm not a digiKam developer, I just started promoting it. You are right
> to write that this should not become a long discussion about the pros
> and cons of operating systems. Let me just say that for me as a
> keyboard affine user who now uses Linux for about 10 years, and liked
> the concept of multiple workspaces from the start (which Apple
> introduced only in Mac OS 10.5 as "Spaces"), Mac OS was always only a
> fallback-solution because of the better hardware support (for my 17"
> iMac, which was the most reasonable and beautiful computer I could
> think of in 2004). But the Mac OS 10.2 that came with it was crap, and
> not supported for very long. I never had Mac OS 10.3 or 10.4.

Sorry that I missjudged your position in this. I thought you were one  
of the digikam developers.

I used linux as my main operating system for some time and liked it  
really well. It was a major improvement to working with windows, and  
while at the university I still had the time to tinker with the system  
until it fitted my needs.

I switched to 10.3 with a Powerbook and then to 10.4 with a MBP, and  
found that I could be just as productive as with linux, without the  
additional time needed for maintainance. But that is purely  
subjective, as I am not a keyboard affine user (I have a bad memory  
for shortcuts) and the 'functional eyecandy' really pleases me. And  
Quicksilver + Expose fully replaces multiple workspaces for me.

Of course an open source Mac OS would be even better, but a closed  
source Mac still(!) superseeds an open source linux for me. Sorry.

>
> Anyway, the best way to make great software like digiKam available to
> photographers around the world is by making free operating systems
> better, for millions of people world-wide can afford reasonable
> computer and photography hardware (starting at let's say $100 each,
> if bought second-hand), but not spending the same amount of money on
> software (every three years, if using Apple). Free systems (not just
> GNU/Linux, but also BSD etc.) will improve faster (and get better
> hardware support) when more people use them.
>
I'm with you there in general. But I'm clearly to selfish to use linux  
just for this idealistic reasons if it's not giving ME any pros. But  
you got me far enough to try out another install the next time. Maybe  
they've come the next step.


> As I said digiKam 0.10.0 is already running all right on Mac OS 10.5,
> and Mac OS 10.4 support is going to be dropped by pretty much everyone
> very soon after the introduction of 10.6 this September anyway, I
> suppose, if everything goes on like before, in the Apple world. Or is
> there still anyone supporting 10.3 now? Not Apple (with iTunes, Safari
> etc), not Mozilla (with Firefox), not OpenOffice.org, not MacPorts or
> Fink...
>
I know I'm quite outdated with my 10.4, but I tend to get new versions  
by buying new hardware, and unfortunatly the MBP still works well.  
Lets see when the situation gets pressing.


> So to me supporting these effords by
> testing and giving feedback seems like a better idea than creating your
> own "fork".
>
I've already written the ticket on my latest crash. The 'fork' is just  
for personal use as a 'backup' until digikam itself has improved  
enough to be usable for me. (Whathever comes first) Maybe setting up a  
development environment on my Mac even shows something which can be  
helpfull to the official version? It's testing too after all.

The mailing list is not as crowded as others, but lets keep the OS  
discussion out of it for now. Feel free to write to my private address  
if you like.
Just keep it to digikam related stuff, I'll try my best to do the same, too.

Best regards,

Stefan