Release 8.2.0 -- pls add critical features

[Greg Smith]

Hi Bryan,

Thanks for keeping us apprised of your needs!

However, I don't see any way that we can deliver on your first request 
in 8.2.0. The main challenge is that the release is already well defined 
and this is not part of it as it stands today.

I'm also not aware of any feasible design proposal which might address 
your request. You need a precedent or engineering level suggestion to 
move this forward. Is this possible in Firefox at all?

I know that IE tries to open certain types of documents within the 
browser. It ties in a set of editing capabilities without exiting the 
browser, but its not the same as opening the document in the 
application. I don't know the technology behind it (maybe Mime Types?). 
If that is what you are looking for it will require a lot of work which 
I believe needs to come from Firefox.

If you want to click on a link and then have the activity open an 
instance and the focus switch to that task, that's different but still 
challenging. I think that having a URL launch a local application will 
be a fatal security hole. I don't know of any examples of that off the 
top of my head.

Come up with a design, precedent, or specific solution and we can think 
about it some more. My guess is that you need to re-think your Moodle 
<-> activity model and work flow. If can solve the problem from there 
using the currently available functionality that will be the shortest 
path to a solution.

On your second point, I think the thread has been productive. I marked 
the bug a blocker for 8.2.0. I think we will close it by including the 
remove via Journal solution unless Eben can be convinced of a better 
implementation.

BTW I stored your other request sent on the process thread in my 
requirement gathering folder.

I need to get 8.2.0 queued up and on its way. Then I'll circle back for 
9.1.0 and see where in the priority pile we can fit your requests.

Thanks,

Greg S

**************
Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:08:40 +0545
From: Bryan Berry <bryan.berry at gmail.com>
Subject: Release 8.2.0 -- pls add critical features
To: OLPC Developer's List <devel at lists.laptop.org>
Cc: Gregsmitholpc <Gregsmitholpc at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1214961820.6592.31.camel at dell.linuxdev.us.dell.com>
Content-Type: text/plain


I know that Nepal is a small potato compared to Peru and Uruguay but
there are two features that we really need. Furthermore, I think these
features would immensely benefit the bigger deployments.

1. Need to be able to launch activities such as Scratch, EToys, Pippy,
etc. by clicking on a hyperlink in browse. The activity wouldn't run in
the browser. We need this functionality in order to effectively use
Moodle in our schools.

Here's the ticket I opened on the
http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/6958

2. Need to be able to remove activities via the GUI, including installed
activities, to make room for new ones. We are working on Offline Moodle
activity bundles for courses. Each course will be subdivided into weekly
modules. these modules will quickly fill up the ssd. kids will need a
way to remove activities themselves to make room for new ones.

http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/7071


Our development team in Nepal is moving from developing just activities
to developing entire courses that include activities, lesson plans for
the teachers, and supplementary materials. This in response to feedback
from the teachers at the pilots and department of education.


Bryan Berry