A call for new contributors for the GKA project

[Varti]

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Adam Boardman, the owner of the Gemini Keyboard Apps project, is searching for contributors. The Gemini Keyboard Apps project "is focused on improving the linux side user apps so that we can remain within the Linux side all the time." It was started from a post on Indiegogo from Henk van Tijen, who suggested the development of a dedicated Linux suite for the Gemini. Only the apps which meet some specific criteria will be included in the project: it must be possible to activate every function of the app using the keyboard, it must run full screen on the internal screen and should make use of the DPI of the screen. More information can be found here:

GKA Wiki

Two new applications, Calendar and Data, are also being developed, see some screenshots and descriptions here:

http://gka.thinkglobally.org/

A list of what type of help is requested:

- Review the apps listed on the wiki, add pages for ones that don't have pages yet along with links to apps from their favourite other open source platforms detailing the features they particularly like and why we should use that as a base of a new app or to branch and patch that for use on gemini. It will be helpful to link to upstream source code repositories where known.

- Test out the current apps, easier once we have devices but the amd64 (x86-64) builds can be tested on a Debian9 virtualbox.

- Review the translations, and translate for more languages. Both the Calendar and Data apps have translations for a few languages, but they are just google translate output so they'll need to be revised.

- Folk keen on design/UX can review the apps with those kind of thoughts in mind.

- Patches welcome for current apps (coders), bugs can be raised on github (non-coders). The interesting thing about say the calendar app is that as its mostly written in QML+Javascript you can just sudo edit the files after you've installed it to try out smaller fixes.

- Pick an app that is so far not adopted and possibly after some discussion of the best direction to take hack away at it, once you've got something where at least the core functions are working we can add it to the jenkins build system so that more folk can start testing it.

Moreover, the project is now moving to a new Github organisation and changing its name (since gka is not available), please cast your vote on this poll to choose the new project's name: GKA poll thread

To apply as a contributor, please login on the linked Wiki page, reply to the related thread on OESF or send a PM on OESF to Adam.

Varti

[Grench]

Only the apps which meet some specific criteria will be included in the project: it must be possible to activate every function of the app using the keyboard

I feel that requirement could be obsolete if we can get the touchscreen's digitizer to act as a touchpad.

Touchscreen - Absolute positioning where X,Y coordinates are translated into position/click at the corresponding spot on the screen.  Your smartphone probably works this way.

Touchpad - Relative positioning where X,Y coordinates are only important if they change.  The rate of change in X and Y result in a mouse accelerating in the direction of the change.  Your laptop's touch pad probably works this way.

I want a Linux mouse driver to use the Gemini's touchscreen panel as a touchpad that just happens to physically be on top of a screen.  At that point we can have appropriate desktop-like control over the mouse pointer on the device itself.

Yes, applications should be optimized to the keyboard wherever possible.  BUT - we don't have to give up completely on having control over the mouse pointer.

[shuntcap]

I want a Linux mouse driver to use the Gemini's touchscreen panel as a touchpad that just happens to physically be on top of a screen.  At that point we can have appropriate desktop-like control over the mouse pointer on the device itself.

Yes, applications should be optimized to the keyboard wherever possible.  BUT - we don't have to give up completely on having control over the mouse pointer.

I used xf86-input-multitouch (http://bitmath.org/code/multitouch/) instead of the usual xf86-input-evdev driver for a project of mine, which was converting an LG F3Q qwerty smartphone to run pure armhf Linux, no Android required.  I use the touchscreen as a touchpad.  I can double-tap it for a left click, and I remapped the cap keys to operate as mouse buttons (including middle and right buttons).  This gives true traditional X mouse control, right down to pasting selected text with the middle mouse button, all on a tiny 4" smartphone.  I haven't backed the Gemini, but it should be possible to do the same on it.

[Grench]

I want a Linux mouse driver to use the Gemini's touchscreen panel as a touchpad that just happens to physically be on top of a screen.  At that point we can have appropriate desktop-like control over the mouse pointer on the device itself.

Yes, applications should be optimized to the keyboard wherever possible.  BUT - we don't have to give up completely on having control over the mouse pointer.

I used xf86-input-multitouch (http://bitmath.org/code/multitouch/) instead of the usual xf86-input-evdev driver for a project of mine, which was converting an LG F3Q qwerty smartphone to run pure armhf Linux, no Android required.  I use the touchscreen as a touchpad.  I can double-tap it for a left click, and I remapped the cap keys to operate as mouse buttons (including middle and right buttons).  This gives true traditional X mouse control, right down to pasting selected text with the middle mouse button, all on a tiny 4" smartphone.  I haven't backed the Gemini, but it should be possible to do the same on it.

Fantastic!  I knew this had to exist somewhere.  I look forward to trying it out.  Thank you!

[mithrandir]

I want a Linux mouse driver to use the Gemini's touchscreen panel as a touchpad that just happens to physically be on top of a screen.  At that point we can have appropriate desktop-like control over the mouse pointer on the device itself.

Yes, applications should be optimized to the keyboard wherever possible.  BUT - we don't have to give up completely on having control over the mouse pointer.

I used xf86-input-multitouch (http://bitmath.org/code/multitouch/) instead of the usual xf86-input-evdev driver for a project of mine, which was converting an LG F3Q qwerty smartphone to run pure armhf Linux, no Android required.  I use the touchscreen as a touchpad.  I can double-tap it for a left click, and I remapped the cap keys to operate as mouse buttons (including middle and right buttons).  This gives true traditional X mouse control, right down to pasting selected text with the middle mouse button, all on a tiny 4" smartphone.  I haven't backed the Gemini, but it should be possible to do the same on it.

It would be intersting to use both drivers and be able to hot switch between the drivers, maybe with a keyboard shortcut. So we could use the input method best matching the application we use.

Regards
mith

[salvomic]

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- Review the translations, and translate for more languages. Both the Calendar and Data apps have translations for a few languages, but they are just google translate output so they'll need to be revised.

...

Varti

hi Varti (and Adam),
I'll try to collaborate, especially in translating in Italian if needed.
I could try also as beta tester, as soon as I'll have my Gemini.

Salvo