Standard support for the last release of the Qt 5 series ends for term and perpetual license holders today. Customers distributing applications and embedded devices using Qt 5 series software should evaluate how to access technical support and maintenance releases which may include security and major bug fixes.
KDE runs everywhere. Remember when it got ported to the DEC Alpha and SPARCv8? Heady times, because that was the time that a whole
bunch of 32-bit assumptions got wrestled out of KDE code.
And then there was a long boring period where all the world was amd64. No more!
There are ARM-based SBCs, which are a world of frustration all their own for board bring-up. No more! As of today
KDE e.V. – and so the KDE community – has a new core to work with. The RISC-V architecture,
and the VisionFive 2 board in particular.
RISC-V Outer box under a floppy disk
Part of the attraction of the RISC-V is that the “low end” boards are a lot more capable than
“low end” ARM SBCs. I received one in the mail today for experimentation and use within the
KDE community. With 8GB RAM and an nvme M2 slot (all I have lying around here is a 1TB PCIe4 stick,
so total overkill) the board ought to be a lot more pleasant for development work than some others.
I only got the board today, so here’s just a shot of the box it came in, with
that universally-recognized size-for-reference object, the 5 1/4” floppy (that’s 133.35 mm).
If you’ve been following my previous blog posts, you may recall that I’ve been working on enhancing the user interface of the Bundle Creator in Krita. The new Bundle Creator is to be designed similar to an installation wizard. By compartmentalizing the functionality into four separate sections, users can effortlessly navigate through the various aspects of bundle creation process.
My Progess so far…
I spent the last two weeks working on the Resource Chooser section. The Resource Chooser page allows users to users to handpick the resource items they wish to include in their new bundle. The most notable enhancement is the transition from a traditional list view to a more intuitive grid view for the list of available resources, similar to the Resource Manager layout.
In the previous version, users were required to individually select each resource item and use the > key to add them to the list of selected resources. However, now users can simply click on resource items directly to add them to the selected list. This seamless integration of the grid view and the ability to click-to-select greatly streamlines the workflow, especially benefiting tablet users of Krita.
One can also filter resources by tag or name before choosing resource items to be added to the selected list. This allows users to swiftly select resource items that serve a similar purpose when creating a new bundle. Gone are the days of scrolling through the entire list of available items; now, users can easily narrow down their options through efficient filtering.
And finally, to remove a single resource item, users can now simply select it by clicking on it. Similarly, for removing multiple items, users can hold down the Ctrl key and select multiple items imultaneously.Once the desired resource items are selected, users can easily remove them by clicking on the Remove Resources button .
In the upcoming weeks, I would be working on the Choose Tags section. This requires some UI related feedback, and if you’re interested to help out, please feel free to drop a comment on this post I created on Krita Artists Forum!
And just to add a splash of colour to my blogpost, this is just a very quick artwork which I made using Ramon’s impressionism brush bundle. It’s super easy to use, do check it out! :D
MauiKit: A Toolkit for Multi Adaptable User Interfaces.
Today, we bring you a new report on the Maui Project’s progress.
We are excited to announce the latest release of MauiKit version 3.0.0, our comprehensive user interface toolkit specifically designed for convergent interfaces.
Built on the foundations of Qt Quick Controls and QML, MauiKit empowers developers to create adaptable and seamless user interfaces across a range of devices.
Community
To follow the Maui Project’s development or say hi, you can join us on Telegram: https://t.me/mauiproject.
Note: Please be aware that this is an ISO image from a third party.
What’s new?
In this update, we have focused on enhancing MauiKit’s capabilities to support convergent interfaces. With improved components, added features, and bug fixes, MauiKit enables developers to build interfaces that seamlessly adapt and respond to different screen sizes, resolutions, and device form factors.
In addition to the enhancements made to MauiKit, this release also includes updates to the Maui App stack. The Maui App stack consists of a suite of applications developed using MauiKit, designed to provide a consistent and cohesive user experience across different devices. These updates further strengthen the stack, ensuring a smooth and integrated workflow for developers and a delightful user experience for end-users.
With the convergence capabilities of MauiKit, applications built using the stack can seamlessly transition between desktop and mobile interfaces, providing a unified experience across different environments.
Check out the previous progress report blog for more details on what has been cooking for this new release:
Now, let’s delve into the details of the new release of MauiKit, exploring its enhanced features for building convergent interfaces. We will also showcase the updates to the Maui App stack, demonstrating how developers can leverage its capabilities to create compelling cross-platform applications.
Join us on this journey as we unveil the potential of MauiKit for building convergent interfaces and discover the possibilities offered by the enhanced Maui App stack.
A few custom CSD button styles added. I’ll probably move them to a new package maui-csd-styles. If you have a favorite window control button style- from back in the days of emerald and metacity – leave a comment with a link and I’ll add it. #mauikit@maui_projectpic.twitter.com/713rE9B1iI
A script element has been removed to ensure Planet works properly. Please find it in the original post.
MauiKit Frameworks
At the core of the Maui Project lies its foundational framework, MauiKit Controls, which provides a comprehensive set of template controls for creating user interfaces. In this latest release, we have made significant improvements to MauiKit Controls, focusing on enhancing its configurability and overall consistent user experience.
One of the notable advancements is the increased configurability of MauiKit Controls, allowing developers to adapt the interface to user preferences more effectively. For example, new color styles have been introduced specifically tailored for E-Ink and AMOLED displays, ensuring optimal readability and energy efficiency on these screen types. This level of customization empowers developers to create interfaces that cater to the unique needs of users and their device preferences.
Furthermore, we have worked to establish a more consistent look and feel across all graphical elements within MauiKit Controls. This coherence ensures a seamless user experience, where controls harmoniously blend together, providing a polished and professional interface. Users will appreciate the enhanced visual consistency and intuitiveness of the controls, resulting in a more satisfying and engaging interaction.
Controls & Style – [3.0.0]
Make the ToolActions have a uniform height for all the children.
Style fixes to the ComboBox and SpinBox.
In the Handy object check the clipboard for an image.
Allow opening ContextualMenu and the cursor position.
New control TextFieldPopup: a text field that expands to a popover for listing elements; a use case is for presenting inline searches and filtering.
Fixes to the minimum ApplicationWindow size constraints on mobile.
Tweaks to the TabView tabs, supporting now color and icon. Fixes the interactive property for touch-swiping gestures.
Fix padding of elements such as custom CSD buttons, FloatingButton, SelectionBar, and others.
Refactor the ToolActions control, no longer based on indexes, but rather relies on the Action children for setting the states.
Fixed the crashing issue on Wayland when performing a DND action.
The ListBrowserDelegate and GridBrowserDelegate now expose the autoExclusive property for such usage.
Start using the new MauiMan Accessibility module properties for the scrollBarPolicy and playSounds preferences.
Style the CheckBoxItem control for better contrast and consistency with the rest of the elements.
Fix binding loops on some controls, such as ToolBar.
Added a constrained width for the SideBarView sidebar to never exceed the width of the available screen width.
A script element has been removed to ensure Planet works properly. Please find it in the original post.
FileBrowser, TextEditor, ImageTools, and Accounts – [3.0.0]
MauiKit FileBrowsing, has also received refinements in this release. The dialogs within MauiKit FileBrowsing have been redesigned to be more compact and visually pleasing, providing a cleaner and more user-friendly interface for managing files. Drag and drop operations have been fine-tuned to ensure smoother file manipulation, simplifying the organization and transfer of files.
A script element has been removed to ensure Planet works properly. Please find it in the original post.
Additionally, the API of MauiKit FileBrowsing has been cleaned up, resulting in a more consistent and developer-friendly experience. These improvements streamline the integration of MauiKit FileBrowsing into applications, allowing developers to leverage its power more efficiently.
The frameworks received the necessary fixes for supporting translations via KI18n and the KDE’s infrastructure.
Check if the clipboard has any content that can be pasted into the FileBrowser.
Allow pasting images and text streams into a new file in the FileBrowser.
Added a readOnly property to the FileBrowser to avoid performing modifying actions, such as deleting, creating, or moving.
Allow selecting large amounts of files – still not good [TODO]
Do not count “.” and “..” entries in the directory count info.
Documents & Calendar – [1.1.0]
Updated to the latest MauiKit Controls changes. MauiKit Calendar has been updated to the latest changes in the Akonadi Frameworks.
Terminal – [1.1.0]
MauiKit Terminal serves as a terminal emulator control, powering the MauiKit Station app. In this new release, MauiKit Terminal has gained several exciting features to improve its functionality and usability. Users can now easily search through their command history, making it more convenient to reference past commands and outputs. Additionally, notifications for finished processes ensure users stay informed about completed tasks, enhancing multitasking capabilities.
To prevent accidental closures, MauiKit Terminal now includes alarms that warn users before closing any running processes. This helps avoid unintended disruptions and gives users the opportunity to save their work or take necessary actions. Furthermore, the adaptive color scheme of MauiKit Terminal has been refined for better readability and visual comfort, catering to various devices and screen types. The improved touchscreen support makes it even more intuitive for users to interact with the terminal using touch-based gestures.
Do not trigger a signal for the process name if it has not changed.
A script element has been removed to ensure Planet works properly. Please find it in the original post.
Maui Apps
The Maui Apps cover a wide range of essential functionalities, including a file browser, music player, text editor, image viewer, notes taker, video player, web browser, and calendar. In this latest release, our focus has been on expanding and refining the app stack, ensuring consistency, and bringing newer apps up to par with the established ones.
Among the recent additions, we have introduced an archive manager, providing efficient handling of compressed files. A GIT version control manager has also been included, streamlining collaborative software development. The new colors utility app helps users manage and explore color palettes effectively, while the camera app offers a convenient solution for capturing and managing photos.
It’s worth noting that some of these Maui Apps are also available on Android, making them accessible across multiple platforms. Furthermore, these apps are designed to work flawlessly on Linux phones, tablets, and desktop computers, ensuring a consistent and seamless user experience regardless of the device being used.
Index & Nota
Index PathBar delegates now mask the content item to the arrow shape for more precise clicks.
Index now allows pasting raw image and text buffers into a new file.
The main context menu now pops up on the cursor position if triggered with a right-click on the desktop.
Check if there are items in the clipboard that can be pasted.
Fiery & Vvave
Fiery now can download files and notify about them.
Fiery has a more compact look with merged tabs and toolbars.
Fiery has a more adaptive interface on mobile mode.
Vvave now has preference properties for toggling album titles.
Fiery web browser with a more compact & responsive layout + detaching tabs. now can also download files etc…#mauikitpic.twitter.com/MUZLvnwzK4
A script element has been removed to ensure Planet works properly. Please find it in the original post.
Buho & Pix
Bonsai & Clip
Bonsai refactored with a new backend for performing GIT actions.
Arca & Station
Arca can now create new compressed archives.
Correctly prevent closing active processes and correctly accept to stop them.
Station now has a new shortcut bar for signals.
Station now checks the current program being executed and sets the best-fitted shortcuts bar, for example for Nano the nano bar.
Station with fixes for text rendering with Zsh themes. added more configuration options in settings. and support for alerts on finished processes and prevent closing running processes too… also configurable.#mauikit@maui_projectpic.twitter.com/7ZoF8SlTUQ
Top on my TO-DO list is still PIM. There are many parts, making it more complex. I am working on it though. QT6/KF6 is making it’s way to the top of the list as well. KDE Neon has made significant progress here, so I am in early stages of updating our build scripts to generate our qt6/kf6 content snap.
Thanks for stopping by!
https://gofund.me/2c7b1808 All proceeds go to improving my ability to work. Thanks for your consideration!
Today I had the honor of delivering a virtual presentation with fellow KDE contributor Neofytos Kolokotronis at the University of Macedonia, the site of KDE’s 2023 Akademy conference. The subject was “Making a Difference: How to contribute and jump start your career in Free Software with the KDE Community”, making it especially relevant for those who have been looking to get started contributing to KDE and don’t yet know how. But even if you’re a seasoned KDE contributor, I bet you’ll learn a thing or two about KDE’s storied history or ambitious plans!
How to contribute and jump start your career in Free Software with the KDE Community
Join us for a hybrid event, either online or in-person at the University of Macedonia in Greece.
A workshop on how you can make a difference in the world of free software by getting involved with the KDE Community. Learn about our vision and community structure, and discover our impact on today's world. You will also hear from our community members on skill development, career growth, volunteering, and personal growth.
Speakers: Nate Graham and Neofytos Kolokotronis
Date: 23 May 2023
Time: 16:00 to 18:00 EEST
Location: Teleconference Room, University of Macedonia, 156 Egnatia str., PC 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece and online
Topics:
What is KDE?
How KDE has shaped today’s world?
KDE’s continuing impact today
How we got our start in KDE
What can KDE can do for you?
Akademy
This workshop is free to attend, however you need to register to reserve your space!
How to contribute and jump start your career in Free Software with the KDE Community
Join us for a hybrid event, either online or in-person at the University of Macedonia in Greece.
A workshop on how you can make a difference in the world of free software by getting involved with the KDE Community. Learn about our vision and community structure, and discover our impact on today's world. You will also hear from our community members on skill development, career growth, volunteering, and personal growth.
Speakers: Nate Graham and Neofytos Kolokotronis
Date: 23 May 2023
Time: 16:00 to 18:00 EEST
Location: Teleconference Room, University of Macedonia, 156 Egnatia str., PC 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece and online
Topics:
What is KDE?
How KDE has shaped today’s world?
KDE’s continuing impact today
How we got our start in KDE
What can KDE can do for you?
Akademy
This workshop is free to attend, however you need to register to reserve your space!
How to contribute and jump start your career in Free Software with the KDE Community
Join us for a hybrid event, either online or in-person at the University of Macedonia in Greece.
A workshop on how you can make a difference in the world of free software by getting involved with the KDE Community. Learn about our vision and community structure, and discover our impact on today's world. You will also hear from our community members on skill development, career growth, volunteering, and personal growth.
Speakers: Nate Graham and Neofytos Kolokotronis
Date: 23 May 2023
Time: 16:00 to 18:00 EEST
Location: Teleconference Room, University of Macedonia, 156 Egnatia str., PC 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece and online
Topics:
What is KDE?
How KDE has shaped today’s world?
KDE’s continuing impact today
How we got our start in KDE
What can KDE can do for you?
Akademy
This workshop is free to attend, however you need to register to reserve your space!
KDE neon unstable edition is built from git master. For the last few weeks we have frozen the published repo because we knew the move to Qt 6 based builds of KDE Frameworks and Plasma would break install. They will still break install but now is the time to give it a try. It is vitally important to update your neon-settings-2 package first because the Qt 5 and 6 builds have overlapping files and this will allow that.
This is very early stage development. Almost everything is super broken from a user perspective, and it may not be useful to get 500 bug reports about every little thing so tread carefully. For any bug reports you do report add `qt6` tag.