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Where is the software

Forum thread started by edmundf on Fri, 2012-02-03 11:41

Hi Guys,

Can't find any Haiku software anywhere!?
Can someone pleas make a links for that on the Haiku website.
It has been an long time before I returned here to take a look
hoping to see some progress. Is there any Haiku software at all
and if where?

Thanks

Edmund

Basic Windows compatibility for migrants and embedding.

Forum thread started by Genybr on Sun, 2012-01-29 22:13

I have to use Haiku for some months so that post is painted with my own pain.
Excuse me for my meager language ability. Some words may be used incorrectly.

As you know, most of users is still use MS Windows. So, basic compatibility of user interface with Windows will provide new migrants, more popularity and some evil (money) too.

1) Critical fixes (minimal new requires):
This part - is critical for windows migrants. It's no any way to make OS usable except to make controls simple or basic for user.
- add windows hotkeys or hotkey mode.
Cut (ctrl+x), copy (ctrl+c), paste(ctrl+v), cancel(ctrl+z), repeat (ctrl+y).
Perfection: 2 or 3 slot clipboard (ctrl+c, ctrl+d, ctrl+e - cut; ctrl+v, f, r - paste) - great for textworks!
- add windows-like window control buttons: minimize/roll/expand|return (right/middle/left|any mouse key); alternate "close" button.
Not very necessary, but fine for migration.
- add "close" button menu.
This is menu for normal close button. Opens by click-and-hold or alt+space. Contains "close", "expand", "minimize", "roll", "resize"(probably), "move". Not very necessary, but fine for migration.
- add language selection and locale icon.
Strongly required, it opens no-engrish internets for Haiku. Change language from "keymap" is not very fine.
- add "My computer" directory. Name is optional.
This is necessary for Windows migrants due to *NIX directory tree in Haiku. It must display "drive_partitions (MS-DOS shortcuts)/folders_and_files" (hda1(c:), hdb1(d:)).
MS-DOS shortcuts (c:, d:) are familiar and comfortable for most of users and some soft.
Network shortcuts is unnecessary for 80% of basic users, so that is no need for now.

After that 5 steps you can make first release. All other actual for R1A3 parts is fine for office/basic PC.

2) Appstore and software.
You know, this OS is not very popular. So, something like Appstore or tracker for Haiku-related software will be very fine.
- Software add-ons site.
Necessary for find new programs, games, etc. Probably torrent tracker with DRM files (optionally for each program).
- Installation in 2+ click: file->open->yes/no/set->use.
"User can not think - only use. Sad, but this is a rule."(c)
- Installation from online.
Unnecessary, I think. But nice.
- *.chm Help and tutorial.
That is copy of the tutorial from WIN 3.11. I think that was best of all.
- Firefloor.
Small program, which controls: who had launched program, where that program are. From that two points it cut virus potential, auto-updaters and so on.

Release of this part will make OS totally self-supported and will use all power of third-party services and support. DRM option will allow both kind of copyright and opensource projects.

3) Best of alternatives (long time target)
"User can not think - only use. Sad, but this is a rule."(c) When user start a program - it must do not think how does it is works. Only OS with this line of service is... Windows up to XP. At 6.x it slowly migrates to the *NIX way of work.
- Dynamic Virtual Machine Layer (DVML).
This is new and unique OS part: when OS starts program DVML try to identify that program: *.pif file to lookup last good requirements or reading header of the file to understand: is it Haiku, Linux, MacOS, DOS or Windows soft? Which version of kernel and drivers is necessary? It selects automatically how it shall be started, points of data transmission and etc. When program started it must be fully connected with OS. User must just run and use preferred soft and games.
When window closes DVML asks user "Do %program_name% ran fine? Y/N/Later/Manual". "Yes" writes actual pif settings, "No" adds actual settings to exceptions, "Later" save settings as "adequate", "Manual" opens manual pif setup; 3 adequate == yes. Main goal - use any OS module by any OS module (*NIX printer drivers by windows program for Haiku browser).

Third part is hardest and longest, but it make Haiku as universal OS for any user/soft. So it will be a great alternative for migrants.
I see it for 2015 year or later.

------------

I hope, this OS will be fine and easy for use.
We, MS-Windows users, need any workable alternative better then bugged linux or DRMed Android.

[IDEA] Haiku for Kids

Forum thread started by forart.it on Thu, 2012-01-05 08:13

I recently discovered Qimo, which is

Quote:

a desktop operating system designed for kids. Based on the open source Ubuntu Linux desktop, Qimo comes pre-installed with educational games for children aged 3 and up.

It sounds good, but system requirements are not that low (of course, it's Ubuntu !):

Quote:

Qimo needs a minimum of 256MB of memory to run from the CD, or 192MB to install. At least 6 GB of hard drive space is recommended, and a 400MHz or faster CPU.

I personally tried it in a 750MHz Athlon / 256Mb RAM / 20 Gb HD and it's rather slow, which irritates contemporary childrens...

An Haiku-based distro for kids would be subtile spreading strategy, IMHO...

Red programming language for Haiku?

Forum thread started by Michel on Mon, 2012-01-02 11:13

Red is a new programming language derived from Rebol: http://www.red-lang.org/ Not available to the public yet, it seems, but they already have windows, mac and Linux variants up and running.

The lead dev claims to have been a Amiga and BeOS dev back in the days, and we used to have a Rebol port for BeOS, so this might be worth pursuing by someone with the required skills?

[IDEA] Audiophile audio play

Forum thread started by forart.it on Tue, 2011-11-22 10:15

Last April i'd attended to an audiophiles meeting where computers were used as transport (high quality player).
The best sounding one was a cMP²-configured i3 (XP qith almost NO services running @ 256 colors !!!), one core disabled and underclocked to optimize the jitter...
The owner of the machine explained us that less workload the computer has, the better able to provide bit-perfect output.

Now he has switched to Voyage Linux which - he claims - sound even better (again, less weight = more quality).

Another interesting link that may inspire: http://jplay.eu/

They *sells* their "optimized" Windows player for 99€ !

In other words this means that "a market" exist...

So here's the idea: why Haiku can't be used to easy turn "any" PC into an high quality audio player ? We "just" need an audiophile player ! (a CICS port *shouldn't* be so difficoult, for example)

I had this idea for a browser

Forum thread started by Mynameisasquirrel on Tue, 2011-11-22 01:22

I had this idea for a web browser. I don't have any coding skills so I can't make this dream come true but if I share it, perhaps someone else may make it their dream too.

Well, for one, large file sizes and slow start up are usually dependent on the gui. I've tried Lynx and you can't compare Lynx's startup to even Midori.

Obviously there is an advantage to terminal programs, if only they had more options and user friendly features, once opened.

My basic idea was for a web browser, and after seeing Luakit, I thought it might look similar though I wouldn't mind no GUI at all. The only thing similar to a GUI that I want is a thin line near the top which is actually the url bar.

You can right click for options such as back, forward, stop...etc; and perhaps this browser could have addons as well, I mean why not? You can access it's options similarly to how you would in Opera.
I don't mean the Opera preferences, I mean Opera:config. Similarly if you type options in the Url bar of this new browser, you'll be taken to the options tab. There you'll find any options you want,(proxies, privacy, tabs, browser settings...etc;) including some advanced ones which come with a warning for newbie users. And since it is such a minimal browser without a gui, (I am a fan of things written with the curses library) it could perhaps have hotkeys and shortcuts configured for advanced users as well. (Or that could be an addon feature)

You close, minimize and resize the browser by moving the mouse to one of the top corners of the browser where it almost goes off screen, which causes a pop up to appear, listing those classic options, or there could be text buttons in the corner.

Now I also had this interesting and daring idea that might replace tabs in browsing. I call them pearls. It's essentially a black layer that surrounds the url bar and it is covered in small dots. The pearls option is configurable from the options tab but basically for every website you type in the url bar, one of the dots surrounding the url bar turns from white to yellow. And when you hover over each pearl you get a balloon with a number. (You can configure this to even have website titles) You can click the balloon to switch tabs or use hotkeys to switch from one tab to another.
Another option is to move the mouse to the edge of the screen, you'll automatically switch to the next open pearl.

I think people could have a lot of fun with it.

And of course, what I really wish for and I think is the next step in development for a minimal web browser is of course, flash and web video integration, video plugins and such.

This is the browser that I dream about. And it's the one I have no talent to create. What are your opinions?

Clean up function

Forum thread started by ghettosmurves on Sun, 2011-11-20 04:31

I'm not really sure if this should fall under suggestion or bug report. The desktop clean up function is kind of useless since it just stacks everything on the desktop on top of eachother. My guess is that it is just a placeholder function until adjacent object detection and group ordering can be implemented. If this is the case it might be a better idea to suppress the option until it does something useful. Anyway, I'm glad this project exists as I've always been a bit curious about BeOS.

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