[kde-edu]: GSoC ideas needed - 20 days until org application - last call

[todd rme]

On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 5:01 PM, Lydia Pintscher <lydia at kde.org> wrote:
> Heya folks :)
>
> We have 20 days left until org application opens for GSoC 2011. By
> that point we should have as many rocking ideas as possible on this
> wiki page: http://community.kde.org/GSoC/2011/Ideas  It will be used
> to evaluate our application. Please add your ideas. It'd be awesome if
> we could offer a few ideas related to accessibility this time.
>
> If you have questions or are unsure about ideas please let me know.
>
>
> Cheers and thanks
> Lydia
>
> PS: Please forward to other potentially interested groups in KDE - I
> just made a selection from last year's list.
>
> --
> Lydia Pintscher
> Amarok community manager
> kde.org - amarok.kde.org - kubuntu.org
> claimid.com/nightrose

I have a suggestion for a possible GSOC project.  The project I am
thinking about improvements in the KDE shortcut  system.
Specifically, it would be modified to allow devices and programs
besides the keyboard to send shortcut events via plugins.  KDE
currently has pretty limited support for input devices, inconsistent
interfaces for devices it does support, and no integrated solution for
adding support for new devices.

See here for a more detailed explanation and rationale:
http://neverendingo.blogspot.com/2010/11/matter-of-control-state-of-input-device.html

One of the commenters there expressed interest in maybe implementing
it for GSOC (Shafqat).

Since I wrote that article, there has been an important new
development.  Someone is currently working on implementing support for
additional mouse buttons (beyond the existing 3+scroll) directly in
Qt.  KDE, however, currently has no system-wide way to take advantage
of these buttons.  Besides the other issues I brought up in the blog
post, this project would make KDE ready when this feature is finished
in Qt.  This may be as early as Qt 4.8.  See here:
http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-16092

The actual GSOC project would most likely only involve writing the
plug-in system, porting the keyboard to use the system, and of course
writing documentation.  It could optionally include another plug-in.
Good possibilities for an additional plug-in include the mouse,
kremotecontrol, or wii remote (which is going to be used by the plasma
media center containment).  An additional optional task could include
porting the plasma shortcut system to use this (although that would
depend on writing the mouse plug-in first).

Does anybody think this is a good idea for a project?  If so I could
add it to the wiki.

-Todd