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. Redwood City: Raul Gutierrez Segales, Bernie Innocenti and I have been busy hacking in a mini Sugar Camp this weekend. Our goal is to build an interface between the Sugar Journal and several on-line services. Specifically, Raul and I are working on an interface between the Journal and Facebook and Bernie is working on an interface between the Journal and Google Drive.

Here's is where we are at at the moment:

  • We have a control panel widget for managing your Facebook account. It saves a token in .gconf that can be used to make transactions with Facebook. (We plan to add a section to manage all of the users online accounts, probably in the manner of the GNOME online account manager. Suggests (and patches) welcome.)
  • We have a "Share on" extension to the Journal palette menu. Right now, the only option is to share on Facebook. Raul has written a class that manages a Facebook object consisting of the Journal preview image, the title, and the description. The preview image is uploaded as a photo object to the Sugar Journal album on Facebook. The title and description are added as a comment. (Question for the design team: can we bump up the resolution of the preview image?)
  • We are finishing up work on two extensions to the Journal detail-view toolbar for Journal entries with corresponding Facebook entries. The Refresh Button grabs comments from Facebook and adds them to the Object description. The Like Button grabs likes from Facebook.

We've also explored using Facebook graph objects, which would open up a number of interesting options, but we have some infrastructure and authentication issues to sort through before we go too far down that path.

We'll be uploading patches (sugar) and (sugar-artwork) pretty regularly throughout the weekend.


Kim Toufectis commented on this post about online services:

Appreciative of the ideals upon which Sugar Labs and OLPC formed, it’s deeply troubling to envision a commercial entity like FaceBook integrated into the Control Panel.
For a system in which a proprietary browser (Opera) or plugin (Adobe Flash) are controversial even as optional add-ons, can we really be headed for integrating a private corporation into the heart of the OS? This is very difficult to understand…

My response:

First, I will dodge the issue. The web-services intervention into the Sugar code base is not specific to any service provider, rather it is designed as a plug-in architecture. It is not too much of an exaggeration to say it is little more than the addition of four lines of code that add new destinations to the “Copy to” button in the Journal menu:

+       from jarabe.web import online_accounts_manager as oam
+       for account in oam.OnlineAccountsManager.configured_accounts():
+            menu = account.get_share_menu(metadata)
+            self.append(menu)

Raul and I added a new module to Sugar extensions that provides a general framework for managing and accessing online accounts in a way that is service-provider agnostic for the online accounts manager imported from jarabe.web.

We are also working on a patch to the Journal detail view that will display comments made to shared entries. This is a generalization of a mechanism I built for the Sugar Portfolio activity, which displays comments made on Journal entries when your portfolio is shared using the existing Sugar collaboration framework.

Regarding the Facebook icon on the control panel shown in the sketch I posted, this is misleading. This is just a place holder. As I mentioned in my blog, we are working on a panel that can be used to manage all of a user’s online accounts, in a manner similar to GOA. (We may just use GOA with a Sugar wrapper, depending upon what dependencies it introduces.)

So far, I think it is fair to say we are not “integrating a private corporation into the heart of the OS”.

End of dodge.

There are several issues raised by our proposal (none of this code has yet been reviewed and accepted):

  • Should Sugar facilitate integration with online services?
  • If so, should we do it in such a way that is service-provider agnostic?
  • Why specifically are we working on a Facebook plugin?

In regard to the first question, one could argue that the Sugar collaboration framework is capable of internalizing whatever services a user may want, and hence there is no reason to open the door to external services. Further, one could argue that the Sugar Browse activity provides sufficient access to online services that there is no need to provide any additional interfaces.

Personally, I don’t think it is realistic or pragmatic to try to contain our users or to replicate every service that might be of interest within our own framework. We don’t have the resources to do that, but even if we did, such an approach is not, in my opinion, aligned with the goals of the project. I want children to use Sugar as a “free as in freedom” and safe place to learn, however, I don’t want to confine them to that space: they should be launched out of Sugar into the broader world of computing and the web, hopefully shaped by their experiences with Constructionism and with free software. Indeed, one of the most rewarding experiences of the project is to watch children who grew up with Sugar submitting patches to reshape it into a something new and better. Just as we provide a mechanism to inter-operate between Sugar (an environment for exploration) and the GNOME desktop (an environment for productivity), I envision children learning to move fluidly between the garden of internal web services provided by our collaboration model and external services.

As far as being agnostic as to which services our framework *can* support, I think that from the technical perspective, this is a requirement. We cannot be in the business of censoring on behalf of our users. We leave decisions as to what to learn up to the local communities in which Sugar is deployed. Where we have a deliberate influence is on how it is learned. We try to strike a much-needed balance between consuming and creating, between critiquing and reflecting, and this is reflected in the affordances we provide: the Journal, view source, sharing, etc.

That said, we all make decisions of commission and omission. For example, on the one hand, I filled a ticket with YouTube regarding enabling the uploading of .ogv files. On the other hand, when I post videos, I use Dailymotion, because it supports .ogv. And yet I admit to still watching the occasional YouTube video. And as you alluded to in your question: we shipped Gnash instead of Adobe Flash.

Regarding social networking, I blogged this past spring about how the teachers using Sugar in Amazonas Peru hang out on Facebook. Consequently, when we set up a common space for collaboration and support for those teachers, we set it up on Facebook. I’ve tried to get teachers to come to the Sugar channel on IRC, but few, if any, ever do so. (The default channel of the IRC client we bundle into Sugar takes them to #sugar on irc.freenode.net, but they never use that tool. They do manage to find Facebook on their own using Browse.) If I want to engage with them, I need to go to where they hang out. The engagement itself, independent of the service used to provide it, has been rewarding.

As to why Facebook as the place to start building services, there are several reasons. The first is simply that Raul wrote facebook-gobject, which he hosted on git-hub, that allows you access Facebook’s Graph API via a set of GObject based objects for easy integration with GLib2-based code. The second is that Facebook has 1-billion users with whom we’d like to interact and impact.

There are certainly caveats: First, Facebook is not for children. My intention is to provide a mechanism for teachers, not children. Second, Facebook does not provide a place for file (project) sharing, just a place for talking about projects. We will need other services for that (dare I say, Google Drive). Third, there may well be other social networking sites that are aligned with the principles of Free Software. Help us identify those sites and write plugins for them. Which services are exposed in a control panel extension is not a decision we will make unilaterally, but in order to offer a service, someone needs to write the code. Raul and I are trying to lower the barrier to entry. Admittedly, by lowering the barrier for Facebook, we may be discouraging others from trying to compete in this space.

We have an obligation to take these issues seriously and to discuss them vigorously. They are not decisions that come easily or lightly. How we open the door to web services within Sugar is still to be decided.


2. I blogged about a cool visualization of prime factors last week. Tony Forster and I coded it up in Turtle Blocks. Quite fun. It uses a simple iteration to calculate the prime factors and then a recursive algorithm to render the factors in a tree, e.g., 25=5x5. It cycles through the factors of 2 through 100, but it is easy enough to change the main loop to cycle through whatever range of numbers you'd like. It takes advantage of the on-the-fly box definition mechanism in Turtle Blocks and the ability to reference a box from the value in another box to manage the state as it changes in the recursion. Note that you can vary the playback speed by moving the mouse up or down on the screen.

In the community

3. When visiting Facebook's campus in Menlo Park, we bumped into Chris Blizzard, formerly the Red Hat project manager for Sugar.

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Sugar in the news

07 Feb 2013 el Neuvo HeraldJoven uruguayo brilla como programador y es distinguido por Google
06 Feb 2013 el ObservadorJoven uruguayo gana la competencia Google Code (Also see GCI press interviews)
07 Sep 2012 NDTVOne Laptop Per Child initiative a hit in rural India
08 Jul 2012 Estado de S. PauloPara educar
24 Apr 2012 Pacific StandardOLPC Redux
12 Apr 2012 Huffington PostHult Global Case Challenge: One Laptop Per Child
30 Mar 2012 newswise“Sugar on a Stick” Helps Kids Learn How to Learn
11 Jan 2012 Boston HeraldOne Laptop Per Child screening $100 tablet
10 Jan 2012 ars technicaCrank, bicycle, and waterwheel: hands-on with the OLPC XO 3.0 tablet
08 Jan 2012 The VergeOLPC XO 3.0 tablet preview: impressions, video, and pictures
07 Jan 2012 The VergeOLPC XO 3.0 tablet: an 8-inch tablet for $100, with Android and Sugar options for the children
23 Dec 2011 Miller-McCuneOne Laptop Per Child Redux
18 Oct 2011 BDURobotics in Uruguay (video)
11 Aug 2011 Berlin.deGewinner des Berliner Landeswettbewerbs zu Open Source stehen fest
25 Jul 2011 CCC ClassicGarmin-sugarlabs development cycling team at Crit starting line
25 Jul 2011 CCC ClassicGarmin-sugarlabs development cycling team after Crit
13 Apr 2011 framablogL'expérience Sugar Labs préfigure-t-elle une révolution éducative du XXIe siècle?
05 Apr 2011 BusinesswireThe Government of Peru Expands the One Laptop Per Child Program with Local Manufacturing
31 Jan 2011 SundanceA Day in the Life – Peru
01 Dec 2010 velonationSugar Labs to back Garmin-Cervelo’s development team in unique arrangement
28 Oct 2010 UCRNuevas tecnologías deben estar al alcance de todos los niños y niñas
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

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