[Digikam-users] where is the user support?

Sun Aug 4 14:08:24 BST 2013

Sometimes I think there is a problem with documentation and opensource
software that works pretty well.. when it mostly just works, fewer people
need docs, so they get neglected. I can agree that the docs on digikam are
not the best in the opensource world, but I also think it is rare that I
have felt I needed them. Most problems I have had are bugs or other
specific problems that probably wouldn't be found in even good
documentation.

Eliot: I can assure you that my workflow is pretty close to what it sounds
like you want. I take photos on various Canon SLRs and a point-and-shoot.
I connect them to a usb port on a linux laptop running ubuntu (and
sometimes tell the file manager to unmount the camera, since digikam will
communicate directly through gphoto2 without having the camera storage
mounted in the filesystem). I start digikam, and select the import menu. My
camera is usually auto-detected. When I select the camera, it opens a
window which allows me to import photos with all the metadata intact. It
even allows me to download only new photos (although this has been hit or
miss over the years). I can organize, rate, sort, view, batch modify. I
tend to rename on import so that the date is part of the filename. I can
auto convert from raw into several other formats. I can view a map with the
locations of the photos that have been geotagged with gps.

I find it quite remarkable how much I can do, and all for free because some
very dedicated people spent a lot of their spare time making it possible.
Its far from perfect, but you get a lot more than you pay for! If you have
specific points in this process where things aren't working for you, try
asking a specific question and I bet you get a lot of help. If you are
willing to help make the docs better, especially the wiki, I bet there
would be many grateful individuals, myself included.

On Sun, Aug 4, 2013 at 7:35 AM, Peter Mc Donough <mcd-mail-lists at gmx.net>wrote:

> Am 04.08.2013 08:45, schrieb ELLIOT SMITH:
>
>> If I can find some software that does a screen recording, I can upload to
>> youtube a video of what I am talking about. ...
>>
>
> From the length of your email I take that you are more than slightly
> annoyed.
>
> Keep in mind that Digikam is open source, free of charge and a work of
> volunteers who strive to beat commercial programs. Their work is dependent
> on input from users. If the input is unreasonable, why should they bother?
>
>  ...
>>
>> So I'm looking for information on how this broken software can work.  I go
>> here:
>> http://www.digikam.org/
>>
>> wtf?
>>
>
> not wtf but
>
>  FAQ
>> ...
>>
>> Documentation and Support and FAQ and Wiki are really similar concepts, if
>> you ask me.  Maybe these could all be grouped together under a single
>> "support" heading.
>>
>
> Different people work on that. There is no master who gets paid to get
> things in line. Suggestions are always welcome, help is appreciated.
>
>  ...
>> The wiki.  http://userbase.kde.org/**Digikam<http://userbase.kde.org/Digikam>
>> ...
>>
>> What am I supposed to do with this?
>>
>
> Read, try, ask !
>
>  ...
>>
>> As I mentioned previously, I did find the forum.. It wants a username and
>> password...
>>
>
> What is the deal: Shit happens. No idea what's wrong with that forum. Your
> input will probably help addressing that problem.
>
>  ...
>>
>> http://www.digikam.org/docs
>> Documentation
>> "The digiKam documentation comes as a separate package usually called
>> digikam-doc) which you have to install for local use."
>>
>> Well, okay, now we're getting somewhere.  Not.  The documentation that I
>> have in my help menu is pretty lame and buggy at that.  How do I know if
>> the documentation that comes as a separate package is the documentation
>> that I already have?
>>
>
> You are not serious. There is usually an introduction and some information
> on the Digikam version.
> You are right in so far that the documentation is not always as complete
> as a user may want it.
> As I wrote, DK is the work of volunteers, who sometimes assume more
> knowledge from a user than he/she at present has.
>
>  ...
>>
>>      digiKam and image editor plugins
>>      Showfoto
>>      Kipi-plugins
>>      digiKam PDF handbook
>>      Showfoto PDF handbook
>>      Kipi-plugins PDF handbook
>>
>> Okay... the decision tree you are sending me down at this point is getting
>> to be a bit much.  Wtf is showfoto?
>>
>
> Why not take it one step after the other. With Linux I get all of them at
> once. It doesn't say I have to use them.
> Digikam, the Kipi-plugins and the digikam-pdf should be sufficient.
> The plugins enhance Digikam.
>
>  ...  Give me some context.
>>
>
> Open source is self service. If you want service you will have to pay for
> it.
>
>  ... You couldn't put this info on a different page?
>>
>
> There is no "You". Think like a computer. Solution step by step.
> Procedure is: You describe you computer environment. What you want to.
> Where you get stuck. What you should do next.
>
>  ... source code for libkipi, libkdcraw,
>>
>> libkexiv2 AND ALSO libkface, libkgeomap.
>>
>
> You don't need to know about that unless you have a problem with Digikam
> and know where to look. Try:
> http://www.digikam.org/**download?q=download/binary/<http://www.digikam.org/download?q=download/binary/>
>
>  ...
>>
>> You need to enter here the path where you mount the camera, usually
>> "/mnt/camera" or "/mnt/removable".
>> Um?  I'm using Windows 7?
>> ...
>>
>> Try and see if digiKam can auto-detect the camera; if not, you can set the
>> camera model and port manually. Once you have the camera setup, go to the
>> "Cameras" menu in the main interface and you will see the camera listed in
>> the menu.
>> Right.  If that would have worked, I wouldn't be here in the first place.
>> When I try to add my camera, it gives an error with "102CANON The folder
>> name is not valid"
>>
>
> It should work. Especially the world of computers is full of "should work".
> Digikam as well as other photo management programs gets the information on
> the camera from the EXIF info in photos. So you don't have to connect your
> camera to the computer. If you really want, I' sure there is a way.
>
> The cover for the USB port on my camera doesn’t look very reliable, so I
> prefer putting the memory card in a card reader and download photos with a
> file manager to a directory of my choice. There I set them read only before
> I open any of them with a photo application. Keep in mind that "read only"
> does NOT protect your photos from being deleted.
> BTW. I keep the original photos in a separate folder and work only on
> copies.
>
>
> Have fun
> Peter
>
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>
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