[kde-community] Why were there no talks about Ubuntu Mobile at Akademy?

[Michael Zanetti]

On Thursday 22 August 2013 08:21:51 Laszlo Papp wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 7:55 AM, Michael Zanetti <mzanetti at kde.org> wrote:
> > On Wednesday 21 August 2013 13:00:26 Jos Poortvliet wrote:
> > > On Wednesday 21 August 2013 10:59:29 Mario Fux KDE ML wrote:
> > > > Am Mittwoch 21 August 2013, 09.14:58 schrieb Michael Zanetti:
> > > > 
> > > > Morning Michael
> > > > 
> > > > Thanks for your and Albert's explanations.
> > > > 
> > > > > On Tuesday 20 August 2013 22:11:04 Jos Poortvliet wrote:
> > > > > > On Friday 16 August 2013 10:49:26 Jos Poortvliet wrote:
> > > > > > > I think Aaron already made clear that he would be happy to work
> > 
> > on
> > 
> > > > > > > sharing as much as possible with the Plasma efforts he's
> > 
> > involved in
> > 
> > > > > > > and kick folk around him to do the same. I just make the wild
> > > > > > > bet
> > > > > > > that
> > > > > > > the Frameworks folk are perfectly open to the same - standards
> > > > > > > benefit
> > > > > > > us all, so does sharing libraries. They are turning KDE
> > > > > > > Libraries
> > > > > > > into
> > > > > > > components which are
> > > > > > > separately useful, that sounds like a terribly useful think for
> > > > > > > Ubuntu
> > > > > > > Phone.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > So I get plenty of replies in no time all over that I'm wrong, but
> > > > > > when
> > > > > > I
> > > > > > offer help and ask how we can actually do something constructive,
> > > > > > there's
> > > > > > only silence? If the Canonical folks on this list don't feel like
> > 
> > this
> > 
> > > > > > mail was directed at them - you're hereby corrected. If you don't
> > 
> > feel
> > 
> > > > > > like there is anything you can do, please say so, we can then
> > 
> > discuss
> > 
> > > > > > trying to talk to somebody at Canonical directly.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I think for collaboration it takes more than just KDE and Canonical
> > > > > having
> > > > > some similar stuff to do:
> > > > > 
> > > > > - Not all areas can be shared. I for one work on Unity8, which just
> > > > > works
> > > > > and looks so different in every way than plasma does. We don't need
> > > > > Plasmoid containers, you don't need search scopes. Given that Ubuntu
> > > > > Touch
> > > > > is QML only, there's not much point in pulling the QWidget related
> > 
> > stuff
> > 
> > > > > from KF5 over to Ubuntu. Other things, like the Solid base for
> > 
> > example
> > 
> > > > > might indeed could be shared/reused.
> > > > > 
> > > > > - Once there is something which might make sense to be shared, it
> > > > > requires
> > > > > the exact people working on it having interest in collaborating.
> > 
> > Which
> > 
> > > > > means, the responsive KDE person needs to accept that a certain API
> > > > > needs
> > > > > to change for requirements NOT needed by KDE and the responsive
> > 
> > person
> > 
> > > > > in
> > > > > Canonical needs to have interest in pulling in something that most
> > > > > likely
> > > > > can do way more than Ubuntu needs at this stage, with the additional
> > > > > efforts of maintaining more code and doing code reviews for stuff
> > > > > not
> > > > > even
> > > > > needed. It is not possible for me or Albert to go to some API guys
> > 
> > and
> > 
> > > > > tell them: You have to share code with KDE. This needs to happen
> > > > > from
> > > > > inside the team. The person doing the work must drive it.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Now, coming from the Gnome/Gtk area, Canonical's people mostly are
> > 
> > aware
> > 
> > > > > what code could be shared with Gnome, but not many of them have a
> > 
> > clue
> > 
> > > > > what KDE frameworks actually is. Same the other way round. I'm quite
> > > > > sure
> > > > > very few here know how the Ubuntu's architecture is built up.
> > > > 
> > > > So here my two questions:
> > > > - What could we do that this "Gnome/GTK Canonical people" would be
> > 
> > better
> > 
> > > > informed about KDE Frameworks?
> > 
> > I think subscribing to the ubuntu-phone mailing list and just start
> > following
> > what people are doing. Seeing what people are working on, ideas where
> > stuff
> > could be shared should pop up on its own I guess.
> > 
> > Starting to package up the libs that start to become usable might be a
> > good
> > thing too.
> > 
> > But in the end, building showcases is always the best I'd say. How about
> > porting some KDE apps to Ubuntu Touch?  Doing a good job there would
> > definitely draw attention to it. Especially at this point in time where
> > every
> > new app still gets like 5 blog posts dedicated to it.
> > 
> > Doesn't even need to do some real thing. Already demos of how to use some
> > K
> > goodness would help I think.
> 
> One problem here is that we cannot try that on the real device until we
> have one. In my experience the last few years in the (kde) mobile field,
> people are not that interested in such things when they do not have
> gadgets. That applies for me, too. I have tiny applications in
> playground/mobile which I could port easily, but I do not have the
> motivation without a real device.

Right... I agree. Same applies for me too. But keep in mind that you can flash 
Ubuntu touch on most current Android phones. Here's the list of supported 
devices: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Devices

Br,
Michael