AbiWord Weekly News #159, (2003, week 34, released 2003.08.31)

Welcome to this issue 159 of the AbiWord Weekly News.

Follow-ups:

      Enchant and OTS march on to glory.

This week in development

      Russian Speakers are needed NOW!   For everyone else, there's AbiWord 2.0RC2.

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.

Silliness of the Week

      I've decided to dump what I was doing about indemnity, and characteristically quote two guys I wasn't paying attention.

      Two guys walk into a bar.   One of them is named Keith Winstein and the other is named Marc Horowitz.   Bartender said, "What are you two interested in today?"

      They both simultaneously replied:

s''$/=\2048;while(<>){G=29;R=142;if((@a=unqT="C*",_)[20]&48){D=89;_=unqb24,qT,@
b=map{ord qB8,unqb8,qT,_^$a[--D]}@INC;s/...$/1$&/;Q=unqV,qb25,_;H=73;O=$b[4]<<9
|256|$b[3];Q=Q>>8^(P=(E=255)&(Q>>12^Q>>4^Q/8^Q))<<17,O=O>>8^(E&(F=(S=O>>14&7^O)
^S*8^S<<6))<<9,_=(map{U=_%16orE^=R^=110&(S=(unqT,"\xb\ntd\xbz\x14d")[_/16%8]);E
^=(72,@z=(64,72,G^=12*(U-2?0:S&17)),H^=_%64?12:0,@z)[_%8]}(16..271))[_]^((D>>=8
)+=P+(~F&E))for@a[128..$#a]}print+qT,@a}';s/[D-HO-U_]/\$$&/g;s/q/pack+/g;eval

      True story!

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. MSVC minor build fixes to AbiWordPerfect plugin and
   commit: more plugin Makefile work :   Jeremy gives aide to Windows users who compile with MSVC.   Jeremy begins an extensive crusade to ensure that MSVC can get along with plugins

2. Tree closing for 1.99.5 release - HELP NEEDED ,
   ATTN: release-1-99-5 tagged ,
   Website updates, sf.net has tarballs ,
   New 1.99.5 tarballs on SF ,
   MinGW build of 1.99.5 available ,
   SuSE 1.99.5 packages and
   ATTN: release out, tree open :   AbiWord 2.0RC1 is now available.   You can get plugin free versions of it for Windows and SuSE 8.2.

3. Commit (ABI-1-0-0-STABLE): Backport 4874 fix and
   Commit (ABI-1-0-0-STABLE): Backport 1921 fix :   Just a reminder from "Joe's Bait and Tackle" that even when AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom has been released, the 1.x series won't be utterly abandoned and left to fend for itself.   The first fixes a weblink and the latter fixes web preview.

4. commit: More paste partial table fixes. :   Martin's hoping to expand table capabilities with regard to selecting, formatting and pasting whole rows and columns.   Marc suddenly awakens and jumps at the chance to take on Martin's requests.   The packets were full of warm fuzzies that night.

5. Commit: fix ispell segfault! :   "Dictionary not available; please kiss your application goodbye," --ISpell.   Marc fixes this problem with a helpful suggestion from Dom.   However, failure means unfreed resources...if only that junk cold be wrapped away somewhere....   Anyhow, the patch has also been moved over to Enchant...with the risk of incurring...AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom!   You know, that's where that whole thing started....

6. Translations for Abiword 2.0 and
   HELPUS: Russian and Hebrew translations :   Jordi wants to make sure that when AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom get released in just over a week, the translations are 90% or better.   Jordi was able to successfully contact every one EXCEPT A RUSSIAN TRANSLATOR.   There is a very real NEED for a Russian translator RIGHT NOW.   If you or someone you know could help take care of this, it would be GREATLY appreciated.

7. FYI: KOffice will switch to OpenOffice.org file format :   Erwin Tenhumberg informs us that KOffice will default to OASIS.   KDE weirdos are at the top of their class.   However, users that would like to see AbiWord support 100% of the OASIS format (OOo) are welcome to assist in its development.   In reality, however, the file format is a hard one to run natively unless your Open Office.   The best and most common interchange format, as Dom points out, is Rich Text Format, which is why Martin has put so much wonderful work into it.

8. Ots-0.4.1 on FreeBSD user notes. :   Portnoy Alexander has his notes placed here on the list.   FreeBSD users interested in the Open Text Summerizer are encouraged to read this first.

9. Some strings need proper i18n ,
   Paragraph styles ,
   Dates and hours are not internationalized :   Fco. Javier F. Serrador has become more involved in checking for i18n accuracies and innaccuracies.   User participation is very important to Open Source and Free Software projects!

10. GEdit plugin for OTS :   More life on the OTS front, because Nadav is always holding out you all!   First off, before we get to the business, OTS is currently available in the future Red Hat 10 (rawhide), Gentoo current (merge app-text/ots), Debian's unstable tree (sid), Mandrake 9.2 (cooker).
      And now, the fun stuff.   Daniel Brodie has added to the AppsGedit OTS plugin!   You know, everytime I read about it, that Folsom Dam Road is just causing trouble ;o)

11. Win32 build is screwy! or is it me? :   If ever there were a loaded question, Man.   Jeremy has some major Abi Issues that some communication with Win32 users might be able to help.   Right now, he very strongly advises against releasing the Windows build to the public.

12. Commit: bump version #, tree closed and
    ATTN: release out, tree open :   I didn't even update for RC1 and he's done RC2 already!   Monday evening, central time, watch Latest Releases get the updating it sorely deserves.   We Band of Bugger'd!

13. Commit: Enchant personal wordlists :   This commit gives Enchant the ability to send error messages back upstream as well as keep track of individual word lists.   At the same time, however, there's some minor API/ABI breakage.   I'm assuming minor, because it's very non-dom-y to commit a big breaker.   Also, a note for the future, Enchant is expected to go 1.0 at or near the time that AbiWord II: The Wrath of Dom comes out.

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. gcc 3.3.1 and 1.99.4 :   Michael A. Peters experiences some install issues with certain GNOME-y applications, including Abi.   Dom recommend removing the -pedantic for the time being when such errors are encountered.   Compilation is then successful, however, Linux From Scratch users should read this message from Michael about using gcc3.3.1.

2. Switching styles :   Stop getting Martin excited about the future!   Ted Parks would like some extended macro capabilities.   This results in Martin thinking about AbiWord 2.2: Woven Acid Trip.   Dom's shot of reality for Ted was, "This isn't possible...check back again in 6 months."   AbiCapi, Man, AbiCapi.

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....

      Current pows are here. This will probably be replaced LONG after 2.0 has come out..

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, Michael Pritchett

Bug Update

Bug Market

      This week's activity: ResoUnconf +33 (34 : 1), VeriNew +7 (13 : 6), ClosAssi +1 (1 : 0),

      With all three markets in the positive, there was strong activity in ResoUnconf and VeriNew.   Louis Bugkeyser said to expect more until 2.0 is finally released; however, Alan Bluespan cautions that the markets will become less predictable shortly thereafter.

      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.

      Added again to the list is 4733, File paths with ampersands kill preferences, and many more votes for OASIS, but no new volunteers.   It's a balanced world we live in...somehow.

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.

      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