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. Sugar Labs has been given 8 slots for student interns for Google Summer of Code. This means we'll be able to cover a lot of ground this summer: we have some very strong proposals and a great mentoring team. The next step is for the mentors and the sugar-devel team to narrow the applicants down to a short list. Many thanks to everyone who has lent a hand so far and to Google for giving us this opportunity.

2. The sugar-devel team has been really busy pushing new features for the next release and doing a general clean up of the code base. It is remarkable the current pace of activity, especially around the efforts to make HTML5/Javascript a first-class approach to Sugar activity development. You can follow the work on the devel list or by reviewing (and submitting) patches on github.

3. I've been trying to contribute to the overall Sugar effort, but I tend to get distracted by Turtle Blocks (AKA Turtle Art). When I was visiting RIT a few weeks back, I was inspired to enhance the debugging features of Turtle Blocks. I came up with a simple way to introduce the concept of break-points to the code. I had already introduced blocks to "hide" and "show" the program as it executes. And through the "rabbit" and "snail" buttons, the user can control the speed of program execution. What I did was to combine these two concepts. By introducing a "hide" block into your code, the code executes at full speed. Introducing a "show" block causes the program to run slowly and display the status of all of its "variables" as it runs. A subtle change, but what it allows one to do is to surround code you want to debug with a "show" and "hide" blocks. Small blocks of code can be examined while the larger program runs at full speed. Really helpful for debugging complex projects.

4. I am also working on another new feature, this one at the request of the teachers who have been using Butia in Uruguay. The idea is to be able to save a stack of blocks for reuse in multiple projects (instances). The way to do that currently is to open a project, copy the stack to the clipboard, and then paste it into a new project -- too clumsy to be used on a regular basis. The new feature allows users to save a stack to a custom palette. This palette is loaded with each instance of Turtle, so it means the stacks are available as if they were extensions of Turtle itself. It makes it even easier for end-user customization.

In the community

5. We'll be celebrating International Turtle Art Day (Día Mundial de TortugArte) in October. Our objectives are to:

  • Promote the use of Turtle Art
  • Share and promote best practices
  • Celebrate projects for children and teachers

Details on how you can participate will be made available soon.

6. How embarrassing.

Tech Talk

7. Laura Vargas reports that Hexoquinasa v0.9 (BETA2) has been released and is in the hands of the Ministry of Education of Perú, where it will undergo testing.

8. Daniel Narveaz reports that "the initial bits of the HTML activities work has landed. It should now be relatively easy to start writing an activity."

(1) You will need the latest Sugar development environment.
(2) Then open a shell and move to the source directory:
make shell
cd source
(3) Create an activity based on a template:
volo create my-activity ./sugar-html-template
(4) Install the activity for development as usual:
cd my-activity
python setup.py dev
(5) To interact with the platform you will need to add the sugar-core-html library to your activity:
volo add -f ../sugar-html-core/

Sugar Labs

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

{ |- |align=right valign=top|12 Jul 2013||RIT‘Sky Time’ video game selected for White House Champions of Change event July 23 |- |align=right valign=top|28 Apr 2013||BBC MundoLos programadores adolescentes premiados por Google |- |align=right valign=top|07 Feb 2013||el Neuvo HeraldJoven uruguayo brilla como programador y es distinguido por Google |- |align=right valign=top|06 Feb 2013||el ObservadorJoven uruguayo gana la competencia Google Code (Also see GCI press interviews) |- |align=right valign=top|07 Sep 2012||NDTVOne Laptop Per Child initiative a hit in rural India |- |align=right valign=top|08 Jul 2012||Estado de S. PauloPara educar |- |align=right valign=top|24 Apr 2012||Pacific StandardOLPC Redux |- |align=right valign=top|12 Apr 2012||Huffington PostHult Global Case Challenge: One Laptop Per Child |- |align=right valign=top|30 Mar 2012||newswise“Sugar on a Stick” Helps Kids Learn How to Learn |- |align=right valign=top|11 Jan 2012||Boston HeraldOne Laptop Per Child screening $100 tablet |- |align=right valign=top|10 Jan 2012||ars technicaCrank, bicycle, and waterwheel: hands-on with the OLPC XO 3.0 tablet |- |align=right valign=top|08 Jan 2012||The VergeOLPC XO 3.0 tablet preview: impressions, video, and pictures |- |align=right valign=top|07 Jan 2012||The VergeOLPC XO 3.0 tablet: an 8-inch tablet for $100, with Android and Sugar options for the children |- |align=right valign=top|23 Dec 2011||Miller-McCuneOne Laptop Per Child Redux |- |align=right valign=top|18 Oct 2011||BDURobotics in Uruguay (video) |- |align=right valign=top|11 Aug 2011||Berlin.deGewinner des Berliner Landeswettbewerbs zu Open Source stehen fest |- |align=right valign=top|25 Jul 2011||CCC ClassicGarmin-sugarlabs development cycling team at Crit starting line |- |align=right valign=top|25 Jul 2011||CCC ClassicGarmin-sugarlabs development cycling team after Crit |- |align=right valign=top|13 Apr 2011||framablogL'expérience Sugar Labs préfigure-t-elle une révolution éducative du XXIe siècle? |- |align=right valign=top|05 Apr 2011||BusinesswireThe Government of Peru Expands the One Laptop Per Child Program with Local Manufacturing |- |align=right valign=top|31 Jan 2011||SundanceA Day in the Life – Peru |- |align=right valign=top|01 Dec 2010||velonationSugar Labs to back Garmin-Cervelo’s development team in unique arrangement |- |align=right valign=top|28 Oct 2010||UCRNuevas tecnologías deben estar al alcance de todos los niños y niñas |- |align=right valign=top|05 Oct 2010||xconomyOne Ecosystem per Child |- |align=right valign=top|08 Sep 2010||FLOSS WeeklySugar Labs |- |align=right valign=top|09 Aug 2010||ABC digitalIndicadores constatan el impacto positivo en el aprendizaje de niños |- |align=right valign=top|23 Jun 2010||ABC digitalXo para todas las escuelas de Caacupé |- |align=right valign=top|21 Jun 2010||La Nacion“Buscamos que los niños no solo usen softwares, sino que puedan crear uno” |- |align=right valign=top|20 Jun 2010||UltimaHora.comLa laptop une a padres, alumnos y docentes |- |align=right valign=top|15 Jun 2010||The HOLPC XO-1.5 software updated |- |align=right valign=top|10 Jun 2010||engadgetSugar on a Stick hits 3.0, teaches us about a new kind of fruit |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2010||Pro Linux DESugar on a Stick v3 freigegeben (German) |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2010||NY TimesOne Laptop Per Child Project Works With Marvell to Produce a $100 Tablet |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2010||PC WorldOLPC Rules out Windows for XO-3 |- |align=right valign=top|03 May 2010||WXXI: Mixed MediaInterview with Walter Bender (audio) |- |align=right valign=top|03 May 2010||Linux MagazineOLPC Computers for Palestinian Refugee Children |- |align=right valign=top|14 Apr 2010||National Science FoundationXO Laptops Inspire Learning In Birmingham, Alabama (video) |-

|align=right valign=top|02 Apr 2010||

|- |align=right valign=top|15 Mar 2010||nbc13.comBirmingham City students opt to spend spring break in class, XO computer camps (video) |- |align=right valign=top|18 Feb 2010||LWNKarma targets easier creation of educational software |- |align=right valign=top|05 Feb 2010||iprofesionalLa PC barata de Negroponte desembarca en la Argentina para pelear contra Intel |- |align=right valign=top|14 Jan 2010||AALFOpen Systems for Broader Change |- |align=right valign=top|03 Jan 2010||Educacion 2.0PLAN CEIBAL, El Libro |- |align=right valign=top|14 Dec 2009||xconomySugar gets sweeter |- |align-right valign=top|10 Dec 2009||ars technicaSugar software environment gets sweeter with version 2 |- |align=right valign=top|09 Dec 2009||WiredNew Sugar on a Stick Brings Much Needed Improvements |- |align=right valign=top|08 Dec 2009||engadgetSugar on a Stick OS goes to 2.0, gets Blueberry coating and creamy Fedora 12 center (video) |- |align=right valign=top|07 Dec 2009||Teleread.orgSugar on a Stick: What it means for e-books and education |- |align=right valign=top|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 |- |align=right valign=top|16 Nov 2009||zanichellisoftware libero a scuola |- |align=right valign=top|12 Nov 2009||opensuse.orgopenSUSE 11.2 Released |- |align=right valign=top|07 Nov 2009||My Broadband NewsMandriva 2010 packs a punch [and Sugar] |- |align=right valign=top|06 Nov 2009||GhanaWebOpen education and an IT-enabled economic growth in Ghana: Musings of a dutiful citizen |- |align=right valign=top|26 Oct 2009||Linux Magazine ESSoftware Libre como apoyo al aprendizaje |- |align=right valign=top|09 Oct 2009||interdisciplinesOLPC and Sugar: mobility through the community |- |align=right valign=top|08 Oct 2009||IBM developerWorks10 important Linux developments everyone should know about |- |align=right valign=top|01 Oct 2009||OLPC FranceInterview Walter Bender au SugarCamp |- |align=right valign=top|25 Sep 2009||The InquirerOne Laptop per Child marches on |- |align=right valign=top|18 Sep 2009||GroklawThe Role of Free Software in Education |- |align=right valign=top|18 Sep 2009||ReutersSugar Labs and Free Software Foundation Celebrate Software Freedom Day |- |align=right valign=top|17 Sep 2009||ICTDev.orgDream Again with One Laptop per Child |- |align=right valign=top|26 Aug 2009||LatinuxAzúcar en una memoria USB |- |align=right valign=top|03 Aug 2009||Wired: Geek DadInventing a New Paradigm: SugarLabs and the Sugar UI |- |align=right valign=top|30 Jul 2009||ZanichelliSugar on a Stick: imparare insieme |- |align=right valign=top|23 Jul 2009||Everything USBRecycleUSB.com - Donate your Flash Drives for a Good Cause |- |align=right valign=top|22 Jul 2009||OLPC FranceSugar : mauvaise presse et mise au point |- |align=right valign=top|13 Jul 2009||Spiegel OnlineDas zuckersüße Leichtbau-Linux |- |align=right valign=top|07 Jul 2009||ComputerWorldUKGran Canaria Desktop Summit: a Study in Contrasts |- |align=right valign=top|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 |- |align=right valign=top|02 Jul 2009||Howard County LibrarySugar on a Stick |- |align=right valign=top|27 Jun 2009||DeutschlandfunkSüßes für die Kleinen: Sugar ist Linux speziell für Kinder (in Deutsch) |- |align=right valign=top|26 Jun 2009||EduTechSugar on a stick, and other delectables (praise for the lowly USB drive) |- |align=right valign=top|26 Jun 2009||ars technicaSugar on a Stick brings sweet taste of Linux to classrooms |- |align=right valign=top|24 Jun 2009||BBCOLPC software to power aging PCs |- |align=right valign=top|24 Jun 2009||Technology Review$100 Laptop Becomes a $5 PC |- |align=right valign=top|15 Jun 2009||TechSavvyKidsEpisode 10 FOSSVT: Sugar on a Stick (audio) |- |align=right valign=top|10 Jun 2009||LWN.netSugar moves from the shadow of OLPC |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2009||LWN.netActivities and the move to context-oriented desktops (subscriber link) |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2009||Business WireDailymotion Launches Support for Open Video Formats and Video HTML Tag |- |align=right valign=top|01 May 2009||GuysoftNokia N810 Running OLPC Sugar |- |align=right valign=top|29 Apr 2009||El MercurioAsí se vivió la fiesta del software libre |- |align=right valign=top|27 Apr 2009||ostaticSugar on a Stick: Good for Kids' Minds (and School Budgets) |- |align=right valign=top|25 Apr 2009||Free Software MagazineThe Bittersweet Facts about OLPC and Sugar |- |align=right valign=top|24 Apr 2009||ars technicaFirst taste: Sugar on a Stick learning platform |- |align=right valign=top|22 Apr 2009||BetanewsBeta of Live USB Sugar OS opens |- |align=right valign=top|27 Mar 2009||Mass High TechGoogle promotes summer open-source internships |- |align=right valign=top|18 Mar 2009||MetropolisA Good Argument |- |align=right valign=top|16 Mar 2009||Laptop MagazineSugar Labs’ New Version of Sugar Learning Platform Is Netbook and PC Ready |- |align=right valign=top|16 Mar 2009||Market WatchSugar Labs Nonprofit Announces New Version of Sugar Learning Platform for Children, Runs on Netbooks and PCs |- |align=right valign=top|14 Feb 2009||OLPC Learning Club – DCLearning Learning on a Stick |- |align=right valign=top|05 Feb 2009||xconomySugar Beyond the XO Laptop: Walter Bender on OLPC, Sucrose 0.84, and “Sugar on a Stick” |- |align=right valign=top|26 Jan 2009||Linus MagazineSugar Defies OLPC Cutbacks |- |align=right valign=top|19 Jan 2009||Feeding the PenguinsThe status of Sugar, post-OLPC |- |align=right valign=top|16 Jan 2009||OLPC NewsSugar on Acer Aspire One & Thin Client via LTSP |- |align=right valign=top|12 Jan 2009||Bill Kerrthoughts about olpc cutbacks |- |align=right valign=top|07 Jan 2009||ars technicaOLPC downsizes half of its staff, cuts Sugar development |- |align=right valign=top|06 Jan 2009||OLPC NewsAn Inside Look at how Microsoft got XP on the XO |- |align=right valign=top|30 Dec 2008||OLPC NewsSugar Labs Status at Six Months |- |align=right valign=top|22 Dec 2008||The GNOME ProjectSugar Labs, the nonprofit behind the OLPC software, is joining the GNOME Foundation |- |align=right valign=top|16 Dec 2008||Feeding the PenguinsSugar git repository change |- |align=right valign=top|14 Dec 2008||NPRLaptop Deal Links Rural Peru To Opportunity, Risk (Part 2) |- |align=right valign=top|13 Dec 2008||NPRLaptops May Change The Way Rural Peru Learns (Part 1) |- |align=right valign=top|09 Dec 2008||SFCSugar Labs joins Conservancy |- |align=right valign=top|31 Oct 2008||Linux DevicesAn OLPC dilemma: Linux or Windows? |- |align=right valign=top|10 Oct 2008||Feeding the PenguinSugar on Ubuntu |- |align=right valign=top|21 Sep 2008||GroklawInterview with Walter Bender of Sugar Labs |- |align=right valign=top|17 Sep 2008||Bill KerrSugar Labs |- |align=right valign=top|16 Sep 2008||Open SourceSugar everywhere |- |align=right valign=top|28 Aug 2008||OLPC NewsAn answer to Walter Bender's question 22 |- |align=right valign=top|20 Aug 2008||OLPC NewsSugarize it: Intel Classmate 2 |- |align=right valign=top|08 Aug 2008||Investor's Business Daily'Learning' Vs. Laptop Was Issue |- |align=right valign=top|06 Aug 2008||OLPC NewsTwenty-three Questions on Technology and Education |- |align=right valign=top|18 Jul 2008||Bill Kerrevaluating Sugar in the developed world |- |align=right valign=top|28 Jun 2008||OLPC NewsA Cutting Edge Sugar User Interface Demo |- |align=right valign=top|18 Jun 2008||PC WorldOLPC Spin-off Developing UI for Intel's Classmate PC |- |align=right valign=top|17 Jun 2008||DatamationIf Business Succeeds with GNU/Linux, Why Not OLPC? |- |align=right valign=top|11 Jun 2008||LinuxInsiderThe Sweetness of Collaborative Learning |- |align=right valign=top|06 Jun 2008||Bill Kerruntangling Free, Sugar, and Constructionism |- |align=right valign=top|06 Jun 2008||Open EducationWalter Bender Discusses Sugar Labs Foundation |- |align=right valign=top|06 Jun 2008||BusinessWeekOLPC: The Educational Philosophy Controversy |- |align=right valign=top|05 Jun 2008||Code CultureThe Distraction Machine |- |align=right valign=top|05 Jun 2008||BusinessWeekOLPC: The Open-Source Controversy |- |align=right valign=top|27 May 2008||The New York TimesWhy Walter Bender Left One Laptop Per Child |- |align=right valign=top|26 May 2008||ars technicaOLPC software maker splits from X0 hardware, goes solo |- |align=right valign=top|22 May 2008||BetaNewsLinux start-up Sugar Labs in informal talks with four laptop makers |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||OSTATICOLPC's Open Source Sugar Platform Aims for New Hardware |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||PCWorldBender Forms Group to Promote OLPC's Sugar UI |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||MHTBender jumps from OLPC, founds Sugar Labs |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||News.comSugar Labs will make OLPC interface available for Eee PC, others |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||Feeding the PeguinsThe future of Sugar |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||Sugar listA few thoughts on SugarLabs |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||xconomyBender Creates Sugar Labs—New Foundation to Adapt OLPC’s Laptop Interface for Other Machines |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||BBC'$100 laptop' platform moves on |- |align=right valign=top|15 May 2008||OLPC wikiDual-boot XO Claim: OLPC will not work to port Sugar to Windows. |- |align=right valign=top|16 May 2008||SoftpediaBender Launches Sugar Labs for Better Development of OLPC's Sugar UI |}

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