simple launcher -- known problems
 

Hi

Since the other thread got somehow used for several topics, I put this new one for problems only.

Current version: 0.9.3
Download: https://garage.maemo.org/frs/?group_id=131
Garage tracker: https://garage.maemo.org/tracker/?group_id=131

The same package works on both IT OS 2006 and IT OS 2007.

Should you have any issues either use the tracker or post here :)

The known issues:

• no info banner when application is started
• no application activation (bring in front), if the the application is already started
• if you upgrade applet, you have to restart the device (this is how hildon desktop works and nothing can be done about it from outside of it)
• when applet is enabled, the background image is not refreshed and the background stays white until forceful update or reboot

List of requested features:

• transparent background (I'm still trying to figure out how it should be done, help is welcome)
• configurable button size (I consider two sizes at the moment to mimic hildon desktop behaviour)
• configurable icons
• populate toolbar with existing pre-defined items (I hope this is an understandable English :))

Items to be available from launcher:

• special item that activates launcher configuration dialog
• control panel applets
• bookmars
• command line applications

Fixed/Implemented:

• if d-bus service is not defined, application cannot be selected nor run (examples: scummvm, claws-mail, password safe, grsync): v0.9.3
• minimal size is too big: v0.9.3
• no default application icon (which does not match the behaviour of hildon desktop): v0.9.3

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

In N800 I have latest Claws Mail and latest Simple launcher and Claws mail is running ok from applet. Minimo doesn't show up in applet but there's not proper icon for Minimo so that's not problem because this applet is based on icons.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

can the OMWeather developer help with the transparent background issue?

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

I like it the way it is (without startup banner). It makes it feel more like the Palm UI: Just start.. no noise..

The only immediate problem, or inconvenience I see is that the icons seem to take up a lot of space side-wise, so to have more than three or four apps. configured I ran into trouble making enough room (the Hildon UI and the non-flexibility of some of the applets shows up here). Only I fear that the reason the icons take so much room is that they actually have a lot of white space in them so it's not just a matter of squeezing them more together, is it?

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

See Sean Luke's article re the braindead icon design in hildon.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

v0.9.3 is released :)

new features:

• config file can now be backed up
• default icon is shown
• non d-bus apps can be started

fixed:

• minimal size for the applet is just 1 button :)

Available at: https://garage.maemo.org/frs/?group_id=131

Please note you will need to reboot the device after upgrade.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Thanks for the update :)

Did you take a look at the Other Maemo Weather applet?

Their Interface tab allows you to select things like
Layout: One column, Two columns, One row, Two rows
Transparency: Yes/No

This would be nice for Simple Launcher :)

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Nice update, the hp42 calc was succesfully added to my launcher setup! :)

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Yes, I did. I just did not exactly understand how it works. I'm gonna make at least one more attempt though :)

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

How come the Minimo browser has no proper icon, can somebody explain this? I would like to put Minimo in Simple launcher but there's just blank spot in the applet. It's weird to poke blank area with stylus. Just icon, that is all I want...:)

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

If you go under general forum "Hacking maemo Sticky" you will see how to add icons to applications withouth icons.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

It's an invisible icon. They're the hardest to do. :D

(Seriously, if you only have the one empty spot, it's not that hard remembering what it represents, is it?)

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Still no icon? :( I hoped it would have a default one. I'll check it out. Sorry for the inconveniences.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Okei, you're right! Works until you put another application with default icon or without icon, what then? Seriously, I still want those applications to come with icons because all this UI is based on graphical information, otherwise there could be only text showing applications. Wait a minute, there's Xterm and nothing else but text input/output...hmm:p

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

It does show a "default" icon for Minimo v 0.16.13-1 in mine. It's the same icon that shows on Maemo's launcher when Minimo is minimized. (say that< 3 times :D )

the icon is four squares stacked 2 x 2 with the upper left square out of alignment.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Ok here is one problem, just confirmed after testing:

- If the launcher applet is present then after any program addition or removal by the application manager the background of the home screen goes completely white, and the 'Home' menu (in the upper left) is invisible (but still there, click and it shows up).
- If I reboot the screen is ok again
- If I go into the home applet menu and remove the launcher applet before any application installation or removal then everything is ok (I re-add the launcher applet afterwards, things are still ok).

I just did the same operations twice (added and removed app), with and without the launcher applet present and the behaviour is consistent: There's a problem if the launcher applet is present during program installation/de-installation.

This is with the newest N800 firmware and simple-launcher 0.9.3

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Yup, same here. If I click the "home" drop down menu then "background image" the original image is still loaded.
When I click "OK" this image reloads and the screen is back to normal.

It's as if the start up routine after a new install is cut short before the image loads...

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

NOW I know what is causing that problem! That has been driving me nuts. Mine does that very thing.

I do wish the icons were a little larger (ageing eyes!) and the background was transparent.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

I am yet to upgrade to the latest OS on my n800, and I get the blank background also since installing the simple-launcher yesterday.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

This new version is just great ! All the icons that could be selected but didn't launch anything now work, and the blank ones at least have a placeholder... Seems to work just fine on my 770.
Many thanks !

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

same problem with the the white background.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

Thank you very much for a detailed report. I updated the first post in this thread with this information :)

It seems to be a problem when the applications that request icon theme cache rebuild (which is required when you add new items, like application icon). I'll check what's happening and what can be done to deal with it.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

How about making the launcher buttons independent items on the Home? That way the application would require much simpler configuration UI. This is how it could work:
1 user checks the apps she wants to use on the settings dialog
2 user accepts the dialog
3 layout mode opens with all selected items
4 user can position them anywhere she wants or remove those buttons she doesn't
5 user accepts the layout

Also I would make the button by default a bit bigger so that you can tap them with finger, say something like 6-7 mm per dimension. Maybe an option is needed if someone wants to make them really small, by I'd expect most of people would be satisfied with one size.

Re: simple launcher -- known problems
 

I, for one, wouldn't. If anything, I want the icons even more compact, with less wasted whitespace.

Also, I already have several other shortcut apps on the home screen, so the design of having a set of apps in a single launch bar appeals to me. They're all together, I can sort them, there's no fuss with the endless and tedious process of finding a screen layout (which never ever turns out to be what you want). In short, Simple Launcher as it is now is a very useful and productive app. The only thing I would add (but only after much testing and pondering) is the ability to add a user-defined text label below each icon -- but only if it wouldn't impede on the number of icons that fit on the bar. A dedicated Bluetooth icon that links directly to the Control Panel applet would also be nice, mainly because it would circumvent the annoying -- and still not fixed! -- bug Nokia put in.

If anything, Nokia should adapt the homescreen so that the user can put anything she/he wants on it. But asking Nokia for something is not a good idea; before you know it, they'd axe support on the N800 for being a troublesome user.