Sugar Labs/Current Events

What's new

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. LIBREPLANET was this past weekend. It was held at the Harvard University Science Center and drew a large crowd of FLOSS movers and shakers. RMS was there. He spoke about the risks that Software as a Service poses to our freedoms. I unfortunately missed John Gilmore's talk, where he outlined what he thinks are the next goals for the community. It is no surprise that Eben Moglen gave an inspiring talk. He spoke about how much we have accomplished: Free Software is no longer an option; it is "indispensable". We talked about some of the opportunities, especially in education, afforded by software that is "reliable and has a unit cost of zero." I spoke briefly with Brewster Kahle about how we might further leverage the Internet Archive. It has a wealth of materials of potential interest to Sugar users (For example, I just forwarded this link to the Sur list as I thought it was a nice complement to some of the geometry problems they had been discussing [1]).

I attended a talk given by some members of GNU Generation (http://fsf.org/gnugeneration). They are a group of pre-university students involved in FLOSS development. Sugar Labs has great synergy with this group; I have already tried to connect them with Jeff Elkner's team at Sugar Labs DC.

I also met Asheesh Laroia from Open Hatch. Open Hatch is a place to find volunteer opportunities and volunteers. Asheesh was kind enough to add the "sugar-love" tag on bugs.sugarlabs.org to the Open Hatch volunteer opportunities list. I noticed that both Sebastian Dziallas and Mel Chua are new to Open Hatch as well. They have done a nice job of describing Sugar and Sugar on a Stick.

The title of my talk was "Beyond 'open': Making software easier to modify." I began by showing two photos that Bernie Innocenti took in Caacupe, Paraguay. Pictures of smiling children with computer are always a hit, but chose my pictures carefully. The first photo was of two young girls hiding behind their OLPC XO-1 laptops. The laptops had been covered (end-user customized) with stickers despite the best efforts of the designer. (The XO has bumps on its surface that in order to hide scratches and deter the use of stickers.) The second photo was of two young boys replacing broken displays. In this case the design goal was to enable the end user to make repairs (if not modifications) to the hardware.

I then quoted Eben completely out of context. He had said in the talk prior to mine that only Free Software had achieved the elusive goal of being "write once, run everywhere." I said that Sugar had a different goal. We want our code to be written over and over again by our end users because they will learn in the process. Of course we want to write reliable code that will enable Sugar to run "everywhere" and in fact, we have made great progress in this regard over the past two years, in part by hanging onto the coattails of the GNU/Linux community's efforts. I tried to make the point that the usual metrics — robustness, efficiency, maintainability, etc. — are not enough for education. We need to go a step further by ensuring that our code is free and open but also practically amenable to manipulation. (The license guarantees that all Free Software can be modified by the end user, but for most users, this is just a theoretical freedom.) If everyone learns to write code and if more code is written with end-user modifications in mind, we will have a world in which everyone is engaged in debugging, what Cynthia Solomon described as the great educational opportunity of the 21st Century.

At this point, I meant to digress. In the mid-to-late 1980s, I worked on digital video systems. The standard metrics used by the engineering community at the time were complexity of encoding, channel robustness, complexity of decoding, and, of course, the compression ratio. I tried to introduce a fifth metric: the degree to which the encoded signal was amenable to manipulation by the end user. I had in mind simple things like remixing, which had implications regard to the mix of I-, P-, and B-frames in MPEG. I didn't want us to repeat the mistakes of SÉCAM, which cannot easily be edited in its native analog form. (I forgot to make this digression in the actual talk.)

I went on to describe some of the approaches we have taken at Sugar Labs to encourage and facilitate end-user modifications:

  • Setting expectations: establishing a culture in which it is the norm to exercise the freedoms afforded by Free Software;
  • Free Software: articulating the freedom to modify aspect of Free Software (Freedom 1);
  • View Source: provide tools that make it easy to access the source;
  • Scripting languages: use scripting languages (Python, Javascript, and Smalltalk in the case of Sugar) so that changes can be direct and immediate;
  • Small steps: provide a scaffolding to enable the end user to get started by taking small steps (while C might have a "high ceiling", it does not have a very "low floor");
  • "Crumple zones": reduce the risk associated with making mistakes; if the penalty of introducing a bug is too high — either by causing unbounded damage or by being irreversible — then people will quickly be conditioned not to engage in the "risky" behavior of modifying code;
  • The "real deal": if in practice you can only modify toy versions of your software, you cannot scratch a real itch; make sure the real version can be modified;
  • Supportive community: I think that a fair characterization of the Sugar community is that it is welcoming and tolerant of "newbies"; to ask a question is to become a member of the community; we are stingy with commit privileges to "mainline", but provide affordances to encourage the creation of experimental forks.

By way of demonstrations, I highlighted the work of Tony Forster, who "modified" Physics and has taken Turtle Art to new and unexpected places.

During the Q&A John Gilmore asked me how many patches have been contributed by Sugar users. I responded that community members have contributed patches but no children as of yet that I was aware of. I did mention the contributions of the local labs and of high-school and university students. But I also said that it was not relevant whether or not patches were accepted. The learning happens in creating the patch and in submitting it or sharing it with a friend.

We have a ways to go and there are more things, such as optionally providing the GNU tools bundled with Sugar on a Stick, but I think that Sugar is a great model for the broader FLOSS community. Thanks to you, we are making great progress towards our goal of providing every learner will high-quality tools for learning.

Help wanted

2. We have been accepted into the 2010 Google Summer of Code program. Time to solicit mentors and interns. Kudos to Tim McNamara.

Tech talk

3. The Sugar team in Paraguay has made great progress towards the goal of a F11/Sugar-0.84 build for the OLPC-XO-1 computers (You can follow their progress at http://wiki.paraguayeduca.org/index.php/Devel/Builds/Todo).

Sugar Labs

Community News archive

An archive of this digest is available.

Planet

The Sugar Labs Planet is found here.

Sugar in the news

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
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

See our Press Page