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==== Project Silk ==== | ==== Project Silk ==== | ||
The following is based on notes from meeting 9 July 2009. | |||
The basic aim of project silk is to deeply integrate online content into the | The basic aim of project silk is to deeply integrate online content and communication into the user experience. | ||
== Goal and Concept == | == Goal and Concept == | ||
The goal of Project Silk is deep coupling of the web with the user experience while overcoming limitations of the browser. "Freeing the Web From the Browser", so to say. Project Silk takes the opposite direction of Google's Chrome OS, instead of making the browser the Operating System, we integrate the content and the communication deeply into the desktop and application | |||
Slogan: "Freeing the Web from the Browser", "A New User Interface (Face) for the Web" | |||
== What the user gets == | == What the user gets == | ||
* the Social Desktop, have your friends on the desktop | * the Social Desktop, have your friends on the desktop | ||
* Public transport | * Public transport See [http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php/PublicTransport?content=106175] for example | ||
* Online news | * Online news | ||
* Online shopping (Amazon API) | * Online shopping (Amazon API，TaoBao Open Platform API) | ||
* Geoweb: Where are we? | * Geoweb: Where are we? | ||
* Bookmarked synched across devices | |||
** What's here? Categories: Culture, shopping, food and drink, friends near here, weather forecast, public transport, translation, wikitravel, localphone, ATM, hotels (with booking), local phone numbers (taxi, police, doctors, tourist info, sports (passive, active), social activities (local church, etc.) nearby internet access. | ** What's here? Categories: Culture, shopping, food and drink, friends near here, weather forecast, public transport, translation, wikitravel, localphone, ATM, hotels (with booking), local phone numbers (taxi, police, doctors, tourist info, sports (passive, active), social activities (local church, etc.) nearby internet access. | ||
*** Food support could know of dietry requirements | *** Food support could know of dietry requirements | ||
** Opening times: Shows your current location (using geolocation dataengine and marble / openstreetmap) and shops of an interesting category (supermarkets, for example). Opening times are visualized using colours, for example green means: open for at least two more hours, blue for "open for at least 30 minutes, orange: closes in 10 minutes, red: closed. Makes it easy to find a suitable shop. Unsolved: where to get the info about shops / opening times. | |||
** Local translations | ** Local translations | ||
* All this with the ability to feedback | * All this with the ability to feedback | ||
| Line 27: | Line 30: | ||
* CIA world fact book | * CIA world fact book | ||
* the newspaper containment in our plasma-netbook shell | * the newspaper containment in our plasma-netbook shell | ||
* Travel help: an small application that asks where you're going, and then pulls in information from various locations, much like a dynamic travel guide. This information is then cached (you might not find an Internet connection directly!). Pieces of information that would be useful: maps of the city you're visiting (thanks openstreetmap), phone numbers (the local country code, taxis, doctors, hotels, restaurants, ...) | * Travel help: an small application that asks where you're going, and then pulls in information from various locations, much like a dynamic travel guide. This information is then cached (you might not find an Internet connection directly!). Pieces of information that would be useful: maps of the city you're visiting (thanks openstreetmap), phone numbers (the local country code, taxis, doctors, hotels, restaurants, ...) As a bonus, there would be the option to compile a three page summary pdf to print so you don't have to open up your netbook / laptop all the time. | ||
As a bonus, there would be the option to compile a three page summary pdf to print so you don't have to open up your netbook / laptop all the time. | |||
== Components == | == Components == | ||
* a webkit-based Konqueror | * a webkit-based Konqueror | ||
* libweb | * libweb | ||
| Line 41: | Line 40: | ||
== webkit-based Konqueror == | == webkit-based Konqueror == | ||
During Akademy, there was much discussion and also already some code to make the webkit kpart ready for prime-time. A fully working, modern and integrated browser is one of the most important pillars of Project Silk. Konqueror will be using webkit, making it fully working with all major websites. Info about webkit in Konqueror: | |||
During Akademy, there was much discussion and also already some code to make the webkit kpart ready for prime-time. A fully working, modern and integrated browser is one of the most important pillars of Project Silk. Konqueror will be using webkit, making it fully working with all major websites | |||
http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/WebKit | http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/WebKit | ||
| Line 49: | Line 47: | ||
libweb provides the plumbing for applications to easily integrate content from the web by offering a KDE-style API. Think of Solid or Phonon, but for the web. libweb is not so much one library, but a collection of reusable components and sublibraries. It will be a library containing utility classes for integrating online content and services into KDE. Here are some ideas of things it could contain: | libweb provides the plumbing for applications to easily integrate content from the web by offering a KDE-style API. Think of Solid or Phonon, but for the web. libweb is not so much one library, but a collection of reusable components and sublibraries. It will be a library containing utility classes for integrating online content and services into KDE. Here are some ideas of things it could contain: | ||
* MediaWiki Query class | * MediaWiki Query class (done) | ||
* webslices, individual parts of webpages as Q(Graphics)Widgets | * webslices, individual parts of webpages as Q(Graphics)Widgets | ||
* webpage thumbnailer | * webpage thumbnailer (done) | ||
* webpage metadata class with previews | * webpage metadata class with previews | ||
* standalone webapps | * standalone webapps | ||
| Line 65: | Line 63: | ||
* SOAP API (useful for corporate web apis) | * SOAP API (useful for corporate web apis) | ||
* Monitor webpages + change notifications | * Monitor webpages + change notifications | ||
* See Kevin's work on QtJolie | |||
** http://www.grancanariadesktopsummit.org/node/132 | |||
** http://www.jolie-lang.org | |||
The challenge for libweb is to keep it smooth and well-structured. It would be too easy to just dump everything web-related in there, we need to think about how the whole thing should look like for developers. | The challenge for libweb is to keep it smooth and well-structured. It would be too easy to just dump everything web-related in there, we need to think about how the whole thing should look like for developers. | ||
Backends for the service APIs (public transport, online shopping, ...) we offer in libweb should be written in scripting languages for so far possible, so we can easily distribute and update them through GHNS, much like the comic plasma applet does with its per-site comic scriptlets. | Backends for the service APIs (public transport, online shopping, ...) we offer in libweb should be written in scripting languages for so far possible, so we can easily distribute and update them through GHNS, much like the comic plasma applet does with its per-site comic scriptlets. | ||
== Silk integration components == | == Silk integration components == | ||
* tagging and indexing of visited webpages in the desktop search / nepomuk | * tagging and indexing of visited webpages in the desktop search / nepomuk | ||
* akonadi resources for interesting services (google contacts, del.icious bookmarks, linkedin and facebook contacts, ...) | * akonadi resources for interesting services (google contacts, del.icious bookmarks, linkedin and facebook contacts, ...) | ||
* wikipedia runner for KRunner (done :-)) | * wikipedia runner for KRunner (done :-)) | ||
* web identity configuration (central openID config, easy configuration of webservices (think of a button for GMail which then creates an akonadi resource, pulls in email and shows that in Lion Mail on the desktop, or similar, instead of pointing the IMAP config to the GMail server), controls the settings for microblogging, blogging, facebook, google. | * web identity configuration (central openID config, easy configuration of webservices (think of a button for GMail which then creates an akonadi resource, pulls in email and shows that in Lion Mail on the desktop, or similar, instead of pointing the IMAP config to the GMail server), controls the settings for microblogging, blogging, facebook, google. | ||
* a flickr (or rather web-gallery) browser | |||
* a flickr browser | * a standalone web video viewer [[http://flavio.tordini.org/minitube||Minitube]] looks interesting (alediaferia is working a dataengine for video) | ||
* microblogging app / applet (done) | * microblogging app / applet (done) | ||
* Plasma dataengines and applets | * Plasma dataengines and applets | ||
* [[Projects/Silk/Selkie|Selkie]], a sitespecific browser, offering an interface customized for running standalone webapps, uses site-specific bookmarks, offers toolbar actions matching a specific site, instead of location bars and back/forward buttons. (in progress) | |||
== Why is Silk better than a webbrowser == | == Why is Silk better than a webbrowser == | ||
* offline usage and caching, even if limited | * offline usage and caching, even if limited | ||
* richer UI (usage of modern graphics capabilities) | * richer UI (usage of modern graphics capabilities) | ||
* most webpages only work on a full computer and maybe on a netbook), smaller devices often suffer there | * most webpages only work on a full computer and maybe on a netbook), smaller devices often suffer there | ||
* we can optimize content for small and large screen sizes | * we can optimize content for small and large screen sizes | ||
* we can make things compatible for | * we can make things compatible for different input devices (ever tried google maps on a touchscreen?) | ||
* coherent theming | * coherent theming | ||
* full product thinking (hi Aaron!) by integrating interesting services by default) | * full product thinking (hi Aaron!) by integrating interesting services by default) | ||
| Line 95: | Line 93: | ||
== Research Topics == | == Research Topics == | ||
* What does already exist, where? | |||
* What does already exist? | |||
* In how far can we make use of existing API, existing service protocols? | * In how far can we make use of existing API, existing service protocols? | ||
* How do we promote Freedom with Silk? | * How do we promote Freedom with Silk? | ||
* What business models does it allow? | * What business models does it allow? | ||
* Where can we get corporate buy-in? | * Where can we get corporate buy-in? | ||
* Where does real-time collaboration stand here? | |||
== How do we tackle Project Silk == | == How do we tackle Project Silk == | ||
The idea is to fly under the public radar for some time. | |||
Once we have the first bits in place, we announce it as the next multi-year vision for KDE and try to get everybody on board with a big PR splash. (Flying under the radar for a bit will help -- announcing vapourware wouldn't be cool, if we show that we've already some momentum, it'll work much better. Silk is very much a movement towards deep integration, not a one-off or a single application. We have the technologies in place to keep an edge over competitors, and we have the developer community in place to create small plugins to support a wide variety of (even local and niche) services. | |||
== Where's the Code? == | |||
Silk components are hosted in the [https://quickgit.kde.org/?p=silk.git|Project Silk repository] on git.kde.org. Keep in mind that many applications that make the desktop "silk" are integrated into the applications or Plasma already. This git repo collects the bits that aren't (yet). The code is highly experimental, it eats kittens alive. You've been warned. | |||
== How can we get people on board? == | |||
* Blog about the concepts | |||
* Invite interested developers to a mailinglist | |||
* Organize a Silk developer sprint | |||
* Contact people who have been working on "webby" stuff in KDE (done, in progress) | |||
* Divide libweb and the SIL (Silk Integration Layer) into small subtasks | |||
* Provide a git repo with the bits and pieces to get cracking (done) | |||
== Mailinglist and IRC == | |||
* kde-silk mailinglist: [https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-silk subscribe] [http://kde.markmail.org/search/?q=kde-silk Archive] | |||
* #kde-silk on Freenode.net | |||
== Why Silk? == | == Why Silk? == | ||
(Spider)webs are made of it. | (Spider)webs are made of it. | ||
Latest revision as of 23:20, 17 May 2016
Project Silk
The following is based on notes from meeting 9 July 2009.
The basic aim of project silk is to deeply integrate online content and communication into the user experience.
Goal and Concept
The goal of Project Silk is deep coupling of the web with the user experience while overcoming limitations of the browser. "Freeing the Web From the Browser", so to say. Project Silk takes the opposite direction of Google's Chrome OS, instead of making the browser the Operating System, we integrate the content and the communication deeply into the desktop and application
Slogan: "Freeing the Web from the Browser", "A New User Interface (Face) for the Web"
What the user gets
- the Social Desktop, have your friends on the desktop
- Public transport See [1] for example
- Online news
- Online shopping (Amazon API，TaoBao Open Platform API)
- Geoweb: Where are we?
- Bookmarked synched across devices
- What's here? Categories: Culture, shopping, food and drink, friends near here, weather forecast, public transport, translation, wikitravel, localphone, ATM, hotels (with booking), local phone numbers (taxi, police, doctors, tourist info, sports (passive, active), social activities (local church, etc.) nearby internet access.
- Food support could know of dietry requirements
- Opening times: Shows your current location (using geolocation dataengine and marble / openstreetmap) and shops of an interesting category (supermarkets, for example). Opening times are visualized using colours, for example green means: open for at least two more hours, blue for "open for at least 30 minutes, orange: closes in 10 minutes, red: closed. Makes it easy to find a suitable shop. Unsolved: where to get the info about shops / opening times.
- Local translations
- What's here? Categories: Culture, shopping, food and drink, friends near here, weather forecast, public transport, translation, wikitravel, localphone, ATM, hotels (with booking), local phone numbers (taxi, police, doctors, tourist info, sports (passive, active), social activities (local church, etc.) nearby internet access.
- All this with the ability to feedback
- I'm going to visit XYZ, cache me all the data I need and create a printable overview.
- Mobile phone tarrifs, dialing prefixes
- Local prices - what does hotel, food, travel etc. cost here?
- libocs (my location, nearby etc.)
- CIA world fact book
- the newspaper containment in our plasma-netbook shell
- Travel help: an small application that asks where you're going, and then pulls in information from various locations, much like a dynamic travel guide. This information is then cached (you might not find an Internet connection directly!). Pieces of information that would be useful: maps of the city you're visiting (thanks openstreetmap), phone numbers (the local country code, taxis, doctors, hotels, restaurants, ...) As a bonus, there would be the option to compile a three page summary pdf to print so you don't have to open up your netbook / laptop all the time.
Components
- a webkit-based Konqueror
- libweb
- Silk integration for existing technologies
- applications and applets integrating web content
- new concepts of remixing content from the web
webkit-based Konqueror
During Akademy, there was much discussion and also already some code to make the webkit kpart ready for prime-time. A fully working, modern and integrated browser is one of the most important pillars of Project Silk. Konqueror will be using webkit, making it fully working with all major websites. Info about webkit in Konqueror: http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/WebKit
libweb
libweb provides the plumbing for applications to easily integrate content from the web by offering a KDE-style API. Think of Solid or Phonon, but for the web. libweb is not so much one library, but a collection of reusable components and sublibraries. It will be a library containing utility classes for integrating online content and services into KDE. Here are some ideas of things it could contain:
- MediaWiki Query class (done)
- webslices, individual parts of webpages as Q(Graphics)Widgets
- webpage thumbnailer (done)
- webpage metadata class with previews
- standalone webapps
- bookmarks with update notification ("this webpage has changed since your last visit") (in progress as SoC?)
- Base class for implementing REST apis with site-specific implementations (much like Cornelius OCS lib that's used in the opendesktop dataengine)
- online news / RSS lib (done)
- libgeoweb, combining geolocation with webservices to retrieve data relevant to your current location, or to where you're travelling to)
- social web API, plugging into different social networks (openDesktop, facebook, linkedIn) (in progress)
- public transport API (standardized way of getting at this information, different backends to get at the data)
- online shopping API (+ different backends)
- online multimedia content (streaming audio, video, music store): see Amarok
- Useful info on the youtube api http://techblog.ironfroggy.com/2009/07/how-to-use-youtube-data-api.html
- SOAP API (useful for corporate web apis)
- Monitor webpages + change notifications
- See Kevin's work on QtJolie
The challenge for libweb is to keep it smooth and well-structured. It would be too easy to just dump everything web-related in there, we need to think about how the whole thing should look like for developers.
Backends for the service APIs (public transport, online shopping, ...) we offer in libweb should be written in scripting languages for so far possible, so we can easily distribute and update them through GHNS, much like the comic plasma applet does with its per-site comic scriptlets.
Silk integration components
- tagging and indexing of visited webpages in the desktop search / nepomuk
- akonadi resources for interesting services (google contacts, del.icious bookmarks, linkedin and facebook contacts, ...)
- wikipedia runner for KRunner (done :-))
- web identity configuration (central openID config, easy configuration of webservices (think of a button for GMail which then creates an akonadi resource, pulls in email and shows that in Lion Mail on the desktop, or similar, instead of pointing the IMAP config to the GMail server), controls the settings for microblogging, blogging, facebook, google.
- a flickr (or rather web-gallery) browser
- a standalone web video viewer [[2]] looks interesting (alediaferia is working a dataengine for video)
- microblogging app / applet (done)
- Plasma dataengines and applets
- Selkie, a sitespecific browser, offering an interface customized for running standalone webapps, uses site-specific bookmarks, offers toolbar actions matching a specific site, instead of location bars and back/forward buttons. (in progress)
Why is Silk better than a webbrowser
- offline usage and caching, even if limited
- richer UI (usage of modern graphics capabilities)
- most webpages only work on a full computer and maybe on a netbook), smaller devices often suffer there
- we can optimize content for small and large screen sizes
- we can make things compatible for different input devices (ever tried google maps on a touchscreen?)
- coherent theming
- full product thinking (hi Aaron!) by integrating interesting services by default)
- better development platform (not bound to JavaScript / Ajax)
Research Topics
- What does already exist, where?
- In how far can we make use of existing API, existing service protocols?
- How do we promote Freedom with Silk?
- What business models does it allow?
- Where can we get corporate buy-in?
- Where does real-time collaboration stand here?
How do we tackle Project Silk
The idea is to fly under the public radar for some time. Once we have the first bits in place, we announce it as the next multi-year vision for KDE and try to get everybody on board with a big PR splash. (Flying under the radar for a bit will help -- announcing vapourware wouldn't be cool, if we show that we've already some momentum, it'll work much better. Silk is very much a movement towards deep integration, not a one-off or a single application. We have the technologies in place to keep an edge over competitors, and we have the developer community in place to create small plugins to support a wide variety of (even local and niche) services.
Where's the Code?
Silk components are hosted in the Silk repository on git.kde.org. Keep in mind that many applications that make the desktop "silk" are integrated into the applications or Plasma already. This git repo collects the bits that aren't (yet). The code is highly experimental, it eats kittens alive. You've been warned.
How can we get people on board?
- Blog about the concepts
- Invite interested developers to a mailinglist
- Organize a Silk developer sprint
- Contact people who have been working on "webby" stuff in KDE (done, in progress)
- Divide libweb and the SIL (Silk Integration Layer) into small subtasks
- Provide a git repo with the bits and pieces to get cracking (done)
Mailinglist and IRC
Why Silk?
(Spider)webs are made of it.