[Etoys] SqueakMap on OLPC

[Yoshiki Ohshima]

  Göran,

> Are there any existing thoughts about how we could enable SM for OLPC use?
> We could create specific categories for OLPC packages and we could even
> create a tailored SqueakMap Loader for OLPC users. Since Brian Rice and I
> are currently reviving SqueakMap development I am all ears.

  We did incorporate a patch from Karl so that SM does work in the
OLPC Etoys image.  However, the concensus is not to spend too much
time to support Smalltalk code development in the OLPC image.  Opening
a system browser requires similar amount of effort to SM.  When I told
this to Dan, he was visibly so dissapointed; of course it would be
nice if millions of computers are Smalltalk/Squeak capable, but in the
typical senario, providing good Etoys experience is the priority.  If
someobody is interested in development or downloading packages, he can
figure out how to get SM loader in the OLPC Etoys image or even
download the developers' image.

  BTW, if the Etoys experience is good, the platform language doesn't
have to be Squeak.  In regards to longer-term strategy, we just try to
keep current OLPC Etoys good enough and give us time to do a bit more
radical things on different platforms.

  Thank you for the suggestion.  A distributed package system is nice
to have for no matter what.  At this moment, the SM is a great tool
for developers, and in the future more school-children friendly
version of such a system would be very helpful.

-- Yoshiki