AbiWord Weekly News #150, (2003, week 26, released 2003.06.29)

Welcome to this issue 150 of the AbiWord Weekly News.

Follow-ups:

      Always leave messages for yourself about doing things in advance.   For Win32 users, I'd like to show you your new Word Count Dialogue.

This week in development

      The remainders of GUADEC, the death of the hash downloader, a new preferences mock-up, 2.0 beta, anti-abi advertising, Mac OS X and that has nothing to do with the more interesting stories, like Linux going to Congo schools and Microsoft using DRM to lockout other office competitors, all of this and screenshots are waiting within.

Request for user assistance

      If you want an equally rich and powerful Windows release, we really, really could use some Windows developers.   A whole mess of people with even just an hour a week could help.   Of course, the "three with only two hours a week" model hasn't been helping!   We're desperate!   We'll take a line a day if there's enough of you!   Please help...please!   Doesn't a platform like yours deserve a chance?

      Windows users, your help is doubly requested*.   We would like to see more bug reports coming from the Windows crowd, so, if you're feeling more daring, please download and try out the Win32 binaries when they're available.   If you want some sweet functionality in AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom, you will have to participate.   You could also consider joining Project Blue Ant.

      Attention users with spare change.   Marc ended up on the wrong end of a money conversion.   He's now 144 euros in debt for our soon to exist alternative server at the University of Twente*.

Silliness of the Week

      I've used up all of my Silly!   I will be touring with a wok band through Laos starting next week, so the next AWN will be written by me instead.

      Want to stop unjust things from happening in chat?   Join!   It's #abiword at irc.gimp.org

This Issue

      And remember, I give you an email address so you can talk to me, in case you're not on either mailing list.

In this issue:

• Discussion
• Development
• Bug Update
• Release HackDown

Editor(s) of this issue:  E. A. Zen

      If you're interested in using AbiWord for the first time, receiving a more up-to-date version, any particular version or special release, feel free to visit the new  Latest Releases page.

DISCLAIMER:  It should be generally noted that anything said before the "In this issue:" line is purely editorial.   Actually, everything I say is purely editorial.   You kind of get used to it.

Discussions

Traffic on the  developer mailing list has settled at about 200-400 postings per week.   This week, interesting topics on the developer list included:

1. Re: Gnome Office [Re: Dublin meeting] :   If you can get past of this use of the phrase "hand-job," you'll catch Rui's promise to fix up Gnumeric's packaging specification.   Here, you'll see an interesting discussion about the future of the United GNOME Office Suite.   This particular thread discusses whether it would be in the best interest to have the packages separate, or all in one SUPER PACKAGE!   As it stands, The Master of Spec Writing, Rui, has no intention of creating a unified spec, despite Alan's attempt to claim convenience.

2. 1.9.1 win32 binary build :   As mentioned last week, Jordi has made a no-plugins binary of 2.0-beta#1 for Windows users.   Though not mentioned in the AWN, this is also linked on the Latest Releases page.

3. AbiWord Weekly News #149 (2003, week 25) released :   For anyone who read the AWN in its first twelve hours, I apologise for a certain linguistic indiscretion.   A very last minute SOTW-worthy mail came my way with a good piece of IRC transcript.   As some of you know, SOTW is the last part of the AWN written (occasionally excepted by the follow-up).   Even when tired, normally such things get fixed before going, so, I'd like to particularly apologise to Alan, who, for some odd reason, has had some uncharacteristic bits of chat published on him twice.   Dr. Sigmund Freud once said there were no accidents in actions.   While I'm certain I never want to smack my car into a tree, that one did look a lot like Alan...bloody Catholics*....

4. commit: abi: going straight - no more hash downloading :   That's it, Frank has removed Gabriel's hash downloader.   At thirty dollars to one-eight of one ounce, this will save us all quite a bit of money*.   On top of the security risk of having a word processor accessing the Internet, Dom lists six other reasons for doing so, including that it was unmaintained, buggy and limited.   I'll also add that it's bloat, but that it may come back in the form of a plugin.   Ironically, Frank left the dialogue for the tool in the source, which Gabriel, himself, removed.

5. [RFC] Proposed AbiWord preferences dialog mockup, 2nd attempt :   Christian makes another go at a HIGrrrified™ Preferences Dialogue.   Though there is less discussion, there will certainly be an attempt #3.   In the meantime, you can check out the current proposals of: Interface, Documents, Spelling and Language (Win32 screenshot from Jordi).

6. Unix glyph detection urgently needed , commit (HEAD): glyph related stuff , commit (HEAD): remove remapGlyph() , commit (HEAD): ligature stuff , commit (HEAD): ligature selection and commit (HEAD): ut_contextGlyph.h/cpp :   Tomas wants a quick glyph-detection function for the Unix port, so that some other code, waiting in the wings, may be implemented, thus removing the less desirable GR_Graphics::remapGlyph().   Also, a return to soft-remapping, smart quotes and bug 2421 can be found here: Re: Unix glyph detection urgently needed.   Later, during implementation, glyph related stuff, Tomas learns that the new code doesn't quite come out right, hence the ligature stuff and the somewhat more noteworthy ligature selection, which sacrifices normal use for increased functionality (fully explained therein).

7. AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 released. (As 1.99.1) :   Yeah...just don't let it being released a week or so ago through you off...now it's officially the beta...yeah.   I love it when Dom and Martin get together to drink and show off.

8. commit: HIGified Insert Bookmark dialog :   Christian commits this HIGrrrification™ himself.   Behold the Insert Bookmark Dialogue!

9. VUM and The RULE project for Congo schools :   Though only peripherally Abi-related, this is very nifty, so, I want to go into this for a moment.   Marco Fioretti, the Lord High Pumbah of the RULE Project (translation: Red Hat for Low Memory), has been informed that The Association for the Support of People (VUM: Verein zur Unterstützung von Menschen), an organization dedicated to decreasing the "digital divide" in developing and third world countries, currently with respect to nations in Africa, is using RULE's software in the vum:BOX, a Linux system designed to be easily implemented in schools of limited resources.   Actually, they already know about that part; the announcement refers to the vum:BOX going into its own beta testing series.   Where does Abi come into this?   Well, Marco explained that "AbiWord is the only really useable word processor" for low resouce machines.   The vum:BOX's current target is that of four schools in the Congo...lucky kids ^_^

10. commit: win32 plugin dialog box re-done :   The Plugin Dialogue gets a HIGrrified™ face-lift from Jordi.   The Version text pokes left, there's no help button, but the feel is certainly there.   Or should I say, the feel is certainly here?

11. POW - round trip XHTML. Minimum Gnome Office requirement. :   Martin presents the first POW for turning Abiword and Gnumerice into GNOME Office 1.0.   The concept is to be able to copy & paste from Abi to Gnumeric and back again without ANY dataloss via xhmtl standard.   Thankfully, Frank put in a lot of un-patch-prized time in creating one of Free Software's greatest X/HTML plugin ever.   If you'd like to help with this effort and can use both application's cvs HEAD branch, feel free to report any failures in the copying & pasting between the two applications.

12. Should we force GNOME dependency? :   No.   I mean, Christian asks a question that crops up yearly in Abi-Land:   Since Abi's Unix port uses lots of GNOME bases, should GTK+ -> GNOME support be dropped into just GNOME support.   An example is drawn from Evolution, which many KDE users appreciate, even though it is a thoroughly GNOME-integrated application.   People who love their resources aren't too happy about this concept, though appreciate the general idea behind it.   Almost as if in response to this topic, Hub announces Commit (HEAD): removal of libgal-2.0 dependency.   It is only logical to assume, at least from Lachowiczian point of view, that GTK libraries will extract more GNOME functionality, ultimately turning the GNOME Desktop Environment into nothing more than "the damned panel."   Picture it, three years from now: The Panel Project.   On the history page, "Originally, the Panel was the focus of what was once termed 'The GNOME Desktop Environment....'   In honour of that, to this day, we still don't offer user-editable menus. "

13. Scripting Resources, Collapsible Outlining :   Randy Kramer (Twiki Dude) wants to know the capabilities of the scripting plugins for AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom.   We learn that the high-functionality abilities of certain macros just aren't there, in fact, Dom's exact words are "vastly underpowered."   There's always 2.0.1!

14. [abiword-dev] Cheeky F***ers, Negative Advertising. :   Though side-by-side product comparisons (like Lysol versus Pinesol) aren't as big today, when Pepsi first did it to Coke, it verged on outrageous (though it did rock as a commercial).   In the highly commercial world, this often makes sense, but when you pull that crap in the Free Software world, it's just plain mean.   A search for Abiword at google will bring about a very undesirable spot that condemns both Open Office and Abiword.   It's quite pleasing, however, to read a reply from a particular user, known only as Johnathan, who has used the advertised software and the beta for Abiword II: The Wrath of Dom.   He says "...I think Abiword does a much better job...." (Do read the rest of that)   In my never humble opinion, this should be on the page with all the praise and reviews.   Back to the subject at hand, the advertisement...clicking that costs them money...just putting it out there....

15. GUADEC, thanks for the memories (and the beer) :   Alan says, "Missing you already!" to Dom and Martin.   Banoffee recipies, GUADEC pictures and same ol' silliness left inside.

16. PieceTable docs :   Nadav has learned so much about Abi and Presentation Programmes recently, and has decided to learn the PieceTable.   There's deep magic in that code, but Martin's full set of Guadec "slides" might help.   For users of 1.99.1 or later (whenever that comes out), you can pick: GUADEC 4 or GUADEC 4 Slides.   Everyone else will have to be content with html version: Wrath of Dom.

17. [Fwd: [Free-sklyarov-uk] Microsoft intends to use DRM to prevent competing office products maintaining compatability] :   Rui forwards a current rumour from the sklyarov list.   If true, it may mean that MS Office Documents not properly signed by MS Office itself may be considered illegal/dangerous/bs.   This could lead to keeping competitors out of the .doc space.   I wish to point out, however, that nothing suggesting fruition has shown up, yet, regaurding this topic, but do keep it in mind for about a year.

18. AbiWord Cocoa for real use :   Hubert Figuiere, the greatest hacker Apple ever screwed over (and they know it!), has announce the coming fruition of Abi on Aqua, "I just wanted to let you know that today I wrote and printed my first letter on AbiWord Cocoa."   It may not seem like much now, but it does mean things are progressing as hoped.   Though you will not see Abiword II: The Wrath of Dom for Mac OS X come out at the same time as the others, it does appear that mac users will get a chance to appreciate one of the nicest li'l word processors ever assembled.

Traffic on the  user mailing list is sporadic at best.   Often, a good topic comes up, but users tend to only respond to the original poster rather than the list (as well), which limits what I would add, as the only lone threads I post are announcements of importance or points of great interest.   This week, interesting topics on the user list included:

1. Problem compiling 1.99.1 (linux) :   User Geoff is having some issues trying to compile Abi's latest development series.   A little bit of fidgetting around, and Frank figures out to change some variable definitions.   Abra dabra cadabra:   Fourteen hours after a problem was reported, it's all fixed ^_^   Go Open Source!

2. Abi Answers: Using Abiword for Presentations. :   Can't wait for Sven Herzburg's next big project?   Alan gives a blow by blow on how to use AbiWord 2.0's beta as a slide programme.   Using Abiword in no way guarantees your slides will be interesting.

3. Spellchecker doesn't work :   Jost Ammon seems to be having issues with getting the spell-checking utility to find the dictionary.   To get the quick list of possible WTF/Howto's, jump to Dom's reply.

4. "Merci" :   Don't you hate it when you realize you only talk to someone to complain?   So does in Bernard Lambey.   So pleased with 1.0.6, Bernard sends the AbiDev team a big set of thank yous.

5. Abiword1.99 :   Keith Powell started off with not being able to launch Abiword (try "Abiword-2.0" at the commandline if that's an issue), and he ended up trying to figure out why highlighting issues were occurring.   For future reference, damaged or incomplete GTK/GNOME themes are known to cause this problem.

6. 1.99.1 & 1.0.6 ?? :   Just a reminder to those of you interested in trying out the future AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom but are also using 1.0.6:   It was decided six or so months ago to make sure they can co-exist; 1.99.1 will not wipe out 1.0.6 -- you can, indeed, safely have both on the same system.   So, please, do try it, and do report bugs ^_^

Traffic outside of the AbiDomain is tracked and occasionally reported.   This weeks includes selection(s) from: FootNotes

1. Re: AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 Released and An awesome product :   Screw Aunt Tillie, even Dad can use it!   Yup, there's only one real GNOME word processing team, and you know it!

2. Re: AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 Released :   By the way, Footnotes is not the place to file bugs against Abiword; we really do have a Bugzilla.   Dom just wanted to remind you, for the second dozen-enth time.

3. Re: AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 Released :   Don't look at that screenshot!   Units are still in redesign.   See [RFC] Proposed AbiWord preferences dialog mockup, 2nd attempt for example.

4. Re: AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 Released :   Jun Suzuki is the new head of maintaining the BeOS port.

5. Re: AbiWord-2.0 Beta 1 Released :   Yes!   Martin has added footnotes and endnotes, but not Footnotes (that would put us back to requiring libcurl) ;o)

Development

      Track who put in how much and why.   And, while you're at it, consider whether you'd like to keep your own cvs build as well.   Tables...ooh....

      This section is to be replaced by a more site integrated POW BS.   I'm thinking next week, but stay tuned--same AbiTime, same AbiLetter   Until that's done, you may review the current pows here.

Name:  More Windows Maintainers
Description:  Jordi and Jeremy could always use help
Advertisement:  Help free people from the oppression of MSWord today!
Recommended Outline:  You must become magical to know how to fix this.
Comments:  Wouldn't be a bad idea to start with the printing bug...
System:  Windows
Challenge level:  ****. 4 stars out of 5
Current Heros:  Jordi Mas, Jeremy Davis

Bug Update

Bug Market

      This week's activity: ResoUnconf +27 (30 : 3), VeriNew -7 (2 : 9), ClosAssi +2 (5 : 3),

      Dips across the board with only ResoUnconf in the positive, while VeriNew drops 11 points, but ClosAssi only changed its numbers, not its value.   All in all, it has been a slower, though, more concentrated effort in AbiDom.

      For information about how to view the chart, please read 142's Special Interest.

Bug Votes

      These are the week's Top 20 Bugs in the categories  problems and  requests for enhancements.   Influence next week's results by  casting your own votes.   Ah, another release, another change of what bugs are on the "Most Wanted" list.

      Other than a few increases in votes, little has happened here, today.

Release HackDown

      This is an AbiWord Weekly News original concept:  The Release Hackdown.   In the table below, you can watch what bugs are being fixed in preparation for the very next release.   Check the key at the bottom to understand formatting.

      No pressure, guys, I'm sure only 2000 or so people will be watching to see what you do weekly.   That breaks down to about 285 people daily and 12 people hourly, so, it's like being peeked at once every five minutes, literally.   "Isn't that veird!?"

Stable

      There is not stable tracker bug, so, I'm chopping it out until told otherwise.

Head

      On our way to two-point-oh, affectionately referred to as, AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom.

      The last two, 5266 (screen colors...) and 5275 (tabs are white...) were recently just added; other than that, no changes have actually occurred.

      See Announce: 2.0 release plan for more details on the intended route towards Abiword II: The Wrath of Dom.

Open Source, Open Books.

      Approximately once a month, don't hedge bets, I'll get this updated by asking (read: whining at) dom.   In the meantime, whenever you want to see how much is in and where it gets diverted, just peek down here.

      Word of caution, numbers lightly fudged due to (hopefully) temporarily incomplete data.   Like a consultant's suggested price, you'll find hidden meaning in the data if you stare long and hard.   Surgeon's General's Warning:  Staring long and hard may have psychotropic affects; keep out of reach of people who like that sort of thing.

      I cannot promise the time of de-fudging, nor can I promise there will be de-fudging any time soon. However, I feel confident that there will be some de-fudging going on.

Current Balance: $1604.34
Interest earned: $8.64

Expenditures: $950
$400 to pay for Martin's Boston Gnome Summit Trip
$400 to buy Andrew Dunbar a new computer
$ 60 to misc./entertainment expenses at GNOME summit, GUAD3C, other, paid out of dom's pocket
$225 Patch Prize (those already successfully awarded)
-   $ 45 Will Lachance
-   $ 45 Marc Maurer
-   $ 45 Ruud Vring
-   $ 45 Patrick Lam
-   $ 45 Dom Lachowicz

Unique contributors: 58*
paypal: 57
check :  3
cash  :  1
*58: plusse 3 repeat offenders whom we love dearly

Contributions: $2723.00
Less paypal and other banking fees: $115.00