Sugar Labs/Current Events

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This page is updated each week (usually on Monday morning) with notes from the Sugar Labs community. (The digest is also sent to the community-news at sugarlabs.org list, blogged at walterbender.org, and archived here.) If you would like to contribute, please send email to walter at sugarlabs.org by the weekend. (Also visit planet.sugarlabs.org.)

Sugar Digest

1. Tomeu's departure from the project has set off a lot of introspection, speculation, 'blunt' emails, and thoughtful responses. There is no doubt that we will miss Tomeu. He has been not just a prolific contributor to the project, but also a steady hand, with the professional's eye. Under his leadership, we have been able to raise the quality of Sugar and we are much better integrated into the work flows both upstream and downstream from Sugar. We must ensure that this level of professionalism is not diminished.

The occasion of Tomeu's departure has triggered the voicing of many unrelated frustrations with Sugar and Sugar Labs. Yioryos Asprobounitis posted a thoughtful email to the Sugar Developer list. In it, he reminded us of those things that every successful project needs:

  • Clearly defined aims
  • Clearly defined road map
  • Clearly defined tools/methods of implementation
  • Clearly defined, tangible, milestones and annual _external_ evaluation

While I think that the Sugar Community has worked hard towards providing clarity, there remain deficiencies and disagreements.

Personally, my aims for are unwavering: Sugar is a software platform that is designed for children for learning. Sugar is developed and maintained by Sugar Labs, a global volunteer community of software developers and educators. Our goal is to raise a generation of critical thinkers and problem-solvers by establishing a culture of independent thinking and learning. Through Sugar, we strive to provide every child with the opportunity to learn learning within a context that will allow them both to engage in an on-going critical dialog with others and to develop independent means towards their personal goals.

The technical underpinnings of Sugar are deliberately designed maximize the probability that children will learn. Through the Sugar-platform affordances, we encourage learners to explore by dig deeply into topics for which they are passionate, to express by building upon what they discover, and to reflect by engaging in peer-to-peer and personal criticism. Free Software is fundamental to the project not just as a means to an end, but also because of its culture: it is no coincidence that Free Software developers don't just write code; they talk about Free Software, they criticize it, and they discuss other people's criticisms.

Regarding road maps, in my opinion we are quite disciplined in terms of our day-to-day release process. However we are lacking a long-term road map, which I would equate to an architectural specification. Such a document could serve as a metric that would help us with some of our short-term decisions and also help shape the project going forward.

Regarding tools and methods of implementation, while there has been lots of heated discussion, I don't think we are so far apart in our opinions. The seemingly endless debate about git vs email vs trac for patch review is winding down. And we are getting better as a community in showing patience with our handling of the influx of patches and questions from newbies. Perhaps the best evidence that we are not so far off track is the great job that has been done packaging Sugar downstream by various organizations and deployments. We are producing a product that they can work with and want to work with. Of course there is always room for improvement and no doubt the debate about tools and process will continue. That said, one legacy of Tomeu is to be uncompromising on quality. I have submitted many patches and have had very few accepted. But I have gotten thoughtful feedback and learned a great deal in the process. My subsequent patches are better for the effort of the Sugar maintainers.

Regarding tangible milestones and evaluation, I give us a mixed review. We have a reasonable mechanisms in place for our release process and we are cultivating ever-increasing feedback from the Sugar deployments. However, we are lacking clarity around our long-range technical goals. In terms of evaluation, Sugar in the context of deployments is undergoing some level of scrutiny. There are on-going evaluations underway in all of the major deployments. But with few exceptions it is not clear how Sugar itself is being evaluating in the field. We have some active testing teams, but we have not provided them with very good tool chains; we have almost no automated data collection to inform us as to how children are using Sugar. These deficiencies are mitigated in part by an increasingly vocal community of teachers and mentors and facilitators. Ultimately I think we will learn more from our user community than is typical of other software projects. Indeed, the fact that two teachers are running for positions on our Oversight Board is really encouraging.

Dave Neary wrote a blog post about Ubuntu's plans to move to Unity as the default desktop in which he mentions Sugar.

OLPC had many teething problems with the Sugar desktop environment. Bugs, stability and performance issues plagued the project for many months, to the point where they abandoned the development of the stack as the primary target platform for the devices. The project lives on in Sugar Labs, thanks to a broad and vibrant developer community.
There is not one out-and-out success story of a company building a great high-quality custom user interface on the standard Linux stack, except Android, which is hardly a model of collaborative software development.
[snip]
There is another possibility which seems to me more plausible: building a rock solid and functional desktop is hard. Really hard.

What we are doing is hard. But it is also worthwhile. For those of you who have never had a chance to visit a Sugar deployment, I urge you to do so. What you will see, despite all of the shortcomings, is children learning. That is why we are doing this.

2. I had an opportunity to visit Caacupé last week. (I was in Paraguay to give the opening keynote at CLEI 2010, which was hosted by the National University of Asunción. After my talk, I was approached by the university, which has agreed to offer students course credit for working on Sugar.) The formadores at Paraguay Educa have created Saturday 'clubs' to offer opportunities to explore Scratch, Etoys, and Turtle Art in more informal settings. I got to meet with the Club ¡Formando Artistas con la Tortuga! and see first hand what the kids were doing with Turtle Art. I introduced to them a new feature: the caparazon de tortuga (turtle shell) block lets them turn the turtle into a sprite. I recruited a volunteer, Pablo, who made a self portrait using Record. We then loaded his image onto the turtle shell. Needless to say, it was a hit with the kids. I did spend some time introducing the concept of the 'box' (variable block) as a place to put a number and subsequently retrieve it. That was less successful. It occurred to me in discussion with Roberto Alcala, the new technical lead for the project, that if the box shows it value, it may help with the abstraction. Turtle Blocks v102 has that feature and the formadores have promised me feedback. In the meantime, the kids have been sending me their projects, on display [[1]]. And check out Miguela's blog.

3. Just before hopping on the plane to Paraguay, I did a video conference with faculty and students from about 1/2 dozen universities in Pakistan to discuss establishing a Sugar Lab in Pakistan. While the potential for funding from USAID has momentarily fallen through, nonetheless, there is great enthusiasm.

4. I visited with Educ.ar in Buenos Aires on the way back from Asunción. It was a chance to catch up with old friends and to find out more about the government program to give laptops to secondary school children. We talked Sugar and there is a good possibility that it will be part of the offering.

In the community

5. The OLPC/Sugar/Realness summit was held in San Francisco. Adam Holt reports that 130+ enthusiastic OLPC/Sugar community members attended. You can read detailed summaries of the sessions here: [2].

Tech Talk

6. xo-1.75-broughtup.jpg speaks for itself!!

Sugar Labs

Gary Martin has generated a SOM from the past few week of discussion on the IAEP mailing list.

Visit our planet for more updates about Sugar and Sugar deployments.

Community News archive

An archive of this digest is available.

Planet

The Sugar Labs Planet is found here.

Sugar in the news

05 Oct 2010 xconomyOne Ecosystem per Child
08 Sep 2010 FLOSS WeeklySugar Labs
09 Aug 2010 ABC digitalIndicadores constatan el impacto positivo en el aprendizaje de niños
23 Jun 2010 ABC digitalXo para todas las escuelas de Caacupé
21 Jun 2010 La Nacion“Buscamos que los niños no solo usen softwares, sino que puedan crear uno”
20 Jun 2010 UltimaHora.comLa laptop une a padres, alumnos y docentes
15 Jun 2010 The HOLPC XO-1.5 software updated
10 Jun 2010 engadgetSugar on a Stick hits 3.0, teaches us about a new kind of fruit
27 May 2010 Pro Linux DESugar on a Stick v3 freigegeben (German)
27 May 2010 NY TimesOne Laptop Per Child Project Works With Marvell to Produce a $100 Tablet
27 May 2010 PC WorldOLPC Rules out Windows for XO-3
03 May 2010 WXXI: Mixed MediaInterview with Walter Bender (audio)
03 May 2010 Linux MagazineOLPC Computers for Palestinian Refugee Children
14 Apr 2010 National Science FoundationXO Laptops Inspire Learning In Birmingham, Alabama (video)
02 Apr 2010
15 Mar 2010 nbc13.comBirmingham City students opt to spend spring break in class, XO computer camps (video)
18 Feb 2010 LWNKarma targets easier creation of educational software
05 Feb 2010 iprofesionalLa PC barata de Negroponte desembarca en la Argentina para pelear contra Intel
14 Jan 2010 AALFOpen Systems for Broader Change
03 Jan 2010 Educacion 2.0PLAN CEIBAL, El Libro
14 Dec 2009 xconomySugar gets sweeter
10 Dec 2009 Ars TechnicaSugar software environment gets sweeter with version 2
09 Dec 2009 WiredNew Sugar on a Stick Brings Much Needed Improvements
08 Dec 2009 engadgetSugar on a Stick OS goes to 2.0, gets Blueberry coating and creamy Fedora 12 center (video)
07 Dec 2009 Teleread.orgSugar on a Stick: What it means for e-books and education
27 Nov 2009 CNET Japan「コードを見せて、もっと良くなるよ」と言える子どもが生まれる--Sugar Labsが描く未来
16 Nov 2009 zanichellisoftware libero a scuola
12 Nov 2009 opensuse.orgopenSUSE 11.2 Released
07 Nov 2009 My Broadband NewsMandriva 2010 packs a punch [and Sugar]
06 Nov 2009 GhanaWebOpen education and an IT-enabled economic growth in Ghana: Musings of a dutiful citizen
26 Oct 2009 Linux Magazine ESSoftware Libre como apoyo al aprendizaje
09 Oct 2009 interdisciplinesOLPC and Sugar: mobility through the community
08 Oct 2009 IBM developerWorks10 important Linux developments everyone should know about
01 Oct 2009 OLPC FranceInterview Walter Bender au SugarCamp
25 Sep 2009 The InquirerOne Laptop per Child marches on
18 Sep 2009 GroklawThe Role of Free Software in Education
18 Sep 2009 ReutersSugar Labs and Free Software Foundation Celebrate Software Freedom Day
17 Sep 2009 ICTDev.orgDream Again with One Laptop per Child
26 Aug 2009 LatinuxAzúcar en una memoria USB
03 Aug 2009 Wired: Geek DadInventing a New Paradigm: SugarLabs and the Sugar UI
30 Jul 2009 ZanichelliSugar on a Stick: imparare insieme
23 Jul 2009 Everything USBRecycleUSB.com - Donate your Flash Drives for a Good Cause
22 Jul 2009 OLPC FranceSugar : mauvaise presse et mise au point
13 Jul 2009 Spiegel OnlineDas zuckersüße Leichtbau-Linux
07 Jul 2009 ComputerWorldUKGran Canaria Desktop Summit: a Study in Contrasts
06 Jul 2009 Windows ForestUSBメモリなどから“OLPC”用のOSを利用できる「Sugar on a Stick」が無償公開
02 Jul 2009 Howard County LibrarySugar on a Stick
27 Jun 2009 DeutschlandfunkSüßes für die Kleinen: Sugar ist Linux speziell für Kinder (in Deutsch)
26 Jun 2009 EduTechSugar on a stick, and other delectables (praise for the lowly USB drive)
26 Jun 2009 Ars TechnicaSugar on a Stick brings sweet taste of Linux to classrooms
24 Jun 2009 BBCOLPC software to power aging PCs
24 Jun 2009 Technology Review$100 Laptop Becomes a $5 PC
15 Jun 2009 TechSavvyKidsEpisode 10 FOSSVT: Sugar on a Stick (audio)
10 Jun 2009 LWN.netSugar moves from the shadow of OLPC
27 May 2009 LWN.netActivities and the move to context-oriented desktops (subscriber link)
27 May 2009 Business WireDailymotion Launches Support for Open Video Formats and Video HTML Tag
01 May 2009 GuysoftNokia N810 Running OLPC Sugar
29 Apr 2009 El MercurioAsí se vivió la fiesta del software libre
27 Apr 2009 ostaticSugar on a Stick: Good for Kids' Minds (and School Budgets)
25 Apr 2009 Free Software MagazineThe Bittersweet Facts about OLPC and Sugar
24 Apr 2009 Ars TechnicaFirst taste: Sugar on a Stick learning platform
22 Apr 2009 BetanewsBeta of Live USB Sugar OS opens
27 Mar 2009 Mass High TechGoogle promotes summer open-source internships
18 Mar 2009 MetropolisA Good Argument
16 Mar 2009 Laptop MagazineSugar Labs’ New Version of Sugar Learning Platform Is Netbook and PC Ready
16 Mar 2009 Market WatchSugar Labs Nonprofit Announces New Version of Sugar Learning Platform for Children, Runs on Netbooks and PCs
14 Feb 2009 OLPC Learning Club – DCLearning Learning on a Stick
05 Feb 2009 xconomySugar Beyond the XO Laptop: Walter Bender on OLPC, Sucrose 0.84, and “Sugar on a Stick”
26 Jan 2009 Linus MagazineSugar Defies OLPC Cutbacks
19 Jan 2009 Feeding the PenguinsThe status of Sugar, post-OLPC
16 Jan 2009 OLPC NewsSugar on Acer Aspire One & Thin Client via LTSP
12 Jan 2009 Bill Kerrthoughts about olpc cutbacks
07 Jan 2009 Ars TechnicaOLPC downsizes half of its staff, cuts Sugar development
06 Jan 2009 OLPC NewsAn Inside Look at how Microsoft got XP on the XO
30 Dec 2008 OLPC NewsSugar Labs Status at Six Months
22 Dec 2008 The GNOME ProjectSugar Labs, the nonprofit behind the OLPC software, is joining the GNOME Foundation
16 Dec 2008 Feeding the PenguinsSugar git repository change
14 Dec 2008 NPRLaptop Deal Links Rural Peru To Opportunity, Risk (Part 2)
13 Dec 2008 NPRLaptops May Change The Way Rural Peru Learns (Part 1)
09 Dec 2008 SFCSugar Labs joins Conservancy
31 Oct 2008 Linux DevicesAn OLPC dilemma: Linux or Windows?
10 Oct 2008 Feeding the PenguinSugar on Ubuntu
21 Sep 2008 GroklawInterview with Walter Bender of Sugar Labs
17 Sep 2008 Bill KerrSugar Labs
16 Sep 2008 Open SourceSugar everywhere
28 Aug 2008 OLPC NewsAn answer to Walter Bender's question 22
20 Aug 2008 OLPC NewsSugarize it: Intel Classmate 2
08 Aug 2008 Investor's Business Daily'Learning' Vs. Laptop Was Issue
06 Aug 2008 OLPC NewsTwenty-three Questions on Technology and Education
18 Jul 2008 Bill Kerrevaluating Sugar in the developed world
28 Jun 2008 OLPC NewsA Cutting Edge Sugar User Interface Demo
18 Jun 2008 PC WorldOLPC Spin-off Developing UI for Intel's Classmate PC
17 Jun 2008 DatamationIf Business Succeeds with GNU/Linux, Why Not OLPC?
11 Jun 2008 LinuxInsiderThe Sweetness of Collaborative Learning
06 Jun 2008 Bill Kerruntangling Free, Sugar, and Constructionism
06 Jun 2008 Open EducationWalter Bender Discusses Sugar Labs Foundation
06 Jun 2008 BusinessWeekOLPC: The Educational Philosophy Controversy
05 Jun 2008 Code CultureThe Distraction Machine
05 Jun 2008 BusinessWeekOLPC: The Open-Source Controversy
27 May 2008 The New York TimesWhy Walter Bender Left One Laptop Per Child
26 May 2008 Ars TechnicaOLPC software maker splits from X0 hardware, goes solo
22 May 2008 BetaNewsLinux start-up Sugar Labs in informal talks with four laptop makers
16 May 2008 OSTATICOLPC's Open Source Sugar Platform Aims for New Hardware
16 May 2008 PCWorldBender Forms Group to Promote OLPC's Sugar UI
16 May 2008 MHTBender jumps from OLPC, founds Sugar Labs
16 May 2008 News.comSugar Labs will make OLPC interface available for Eee PC, others
16 May 2008 Feeding the PeguinsThe future of Sugar
16 May 2008 Sugar listA few thoughts on SugarLabs
16 May 2008 xconomyBender Creates Sugar Labs—New Foundation to Adapt OLPC’s Laptop Interface for Other Machines
16 May 2008 BBC'$100 laptop' platform moves on
15 May 2008 OLPC wikiDual-boot XO Claim: OLPC will not work to port Sugar to Windows.
16 May 2008 SoftpediaBender Launches Sugar Labs for Better Development of OLPC's Sugar UI

Press releases

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