Yes like many others it seems, I’ve also considered this to be an opportunity for Haiku. Also like many others, the problem seems to be coming up with the ‘right’ project to pitch.
My personal suggestion would be a focus on getting R1 out, so whatever is necessary to get that finalized could be a kickstarter project.
From what I gather the biggie(s) missing for r1 are finishing the package management and perhaps also the layout api? Of course in order to make a kickstarter project out of something like ‘help Haiku reach r1 in 2013!’ there would have to be a concrete plan on what needs to be done and by whom and what funds are required to make it happen and also a timeplan, the logistics of this is something I personally wouldn’t want to attempt.
Anyway like lxstoian suggested, a kickstarter project would hopefully raise awareness even if it’s not incredible successful in gathering funds and any exposure of Haiku is very welcome, come on we all know it’s great, it’s time others realize it aswell
One thing that does not bode well for a Haiku kickstarter is what some people in this thread already pointed out, that there are already funds available for contract work but there’s still a shortage of interested/eligable developers.
at the moment, the only project that i can imagine (and that i was talking about also many month or years ago) is an ebook reader based on haiku. That’s something, to what i would contribute. It has the advantage that current ebook reader dont need a too fancy gui. So I think that’s a domain where haiku could compete.
But for that haiku would need a port to arm (ideally raspberry), but of course there are no big chances that one has the ability&knowledge how to do such a port and also the time and the motivation to do it.
The news that oliver and ingo are going to work again on haiku is indeed one of the best news of this year. Once the backend of the package manager is done, i guess the gui will be quite easy to do.
From what I gather the biggie(s) missing for r1 are finishing the package management and perhaps also the layout api?
The parts missing for R1 are a Password Manager for Wifi (last missing piece of Wifi support), and Package Management. Other than that several bugs still need to be fixed.
The Locale kit should also be updated before R1 to have a more robust API, I am a bit nervous about having to maintain binary compatibility with the current Locale Kit API. The Layout APIs however are nearly complete and are not holding up release of R1.
Better driver support, especially for Nvidia cards and Intel HDA audio would also be appreciated but are not holding up release.
Non-programming tasks include finishing up the Haiku Book (BeBook replacement API documentation) and finishing the Haiku User Guide.
Thanks for the info jscipione, I would so love seeing r1 during 2013 (unless the world ends!). Password manager for wifi doesn’t sound like a big problem, however in order to keep with Haiku’s tradition of integration it should likely solve password management needs across the system rather than just for wifi which obviously makes it rather more complex.
I have no real concept of where the locale kit stands, hopefully that can be fixed without a huge effort, great to hear that the layout api is good to go.
Which leaves package management, obviously a major feature as you really want to get it right from the get go, again particularly given how Haiku is a system where every component strives to be fully integrated.
Certainly package management is a requisite for r1, if just for the ability to easily update the base system. Hopefully Ingo or someone else can pick up the aforementioned contract and finish it off, atleast so that it’s considered feature-complete enough not to be a r1 blocker.
Personally, I think that fully supported HaikuBox and completion of beta/R1 of Haiku appear to be a decent Kickstarter goal, at least in my opinion.
Speaking of hardware, I like <a href=http://www.zotac.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=100170&lang=en>Zotac ZBOX as potential example of HaikuBox. Apparently they have AMD/NVIDIA/Intel based configurations, so it may be possible to pick one with hardware mostly supported and open specifications of wifi and gfx drivers (e.g. Intel, AMD ones), so the lacking drivers can be written without proprietary code or wrappers (I look at you right now, nVidia). Ideally there should be a small list of 100% compatible modern nettops / netboxes / netbooks or other smaller desktop computers that look good, work fast and represent the idea similar to something like “Small box. Big possibilities”. Upcoming package manager must provide the option of constant updates via the web, so the OS, device drivers and applications are always up to date.
Main reason behind the promotional videos of Haiku should be to channel the idea of powerful modern desktop OS with bright future and limitless possibilities, something fresh, new and exciting. The <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggCODBIfWKY>original iconic BeOS video is a good example (“We are trying to become the Linux of audio and video applications” --JLG), but we’re talking 2012/2013 here. So it’s not just about the multimedia capabilities, but also integration with Web, mutli-core performance and effective management of multiple running apps even on small machines.
writing ebook-reader apps wouldn’t be a problem.
My DocumentViewer already supports pdf and djvu. And I already ported chm, epub, … libs, that would need just little work, to make documentviewer also support this formats.
The GUI of DocumentViewer would need to be adapted/changed to be fit an ebook reader, but it wouldn’t be much work.
An “e-book manager” is missing, but it wouldn’t be that much work to write something that can compete with software you find on ebook readers.
As a disgruntled Windows user who has also become disenfranchised with Linux I created a Haiku account just now to contribute to this thread.
I would like to suggest that Haiku have more than one Kickstarter campaign. The first one being a modest goal to reach the current 2012 fundraising goal of $35,000 for the existing defined purpose.
“With your support, we will be able to continue to provide quality dedicated hosting, promote Haiku at various conferences, and most importantly purchase additional time for Haiku development. Your donations will help to bring Haiku closer to R1: the first production quality release.”
Stretch goals might outline new contracts that the additional funding would be utilized for. At certain donation levels rewards might include merchandise from the online store.
In the end a Kickstarter campaign can only raise awareness about Haiku and attract additional supporters who want to contribute in whatever capacity they are able be it developing, funding, testing, etc. In 2013 the goals might be more ambitious full-time developers and a “Haiku Box” built on Zotac or similar mini-pc hardware.
windows has many issues , big, no enormous ones. Linux has less but still are enormous. Haiku has its issues i know some of them but i can’t complain since Haiku is still in alpha ( years ago due to my ignorance, i had thought that haiku was already in a release/stable state). So i know what you mean But things are changing rapidly, Linux is getting steam for crying out load. Come on, the damn thing doesn’t have a nice working sound server. They crushed ALSA a couple of years ago so they could use a nonworking, bugged as hell Pulseaudio just because someone wanted to use the damned thing on fedora. Most games, that i used to play, don’t have sound working properly like Doom 3, Prey, ETQW, Wolfenstein:ET. the only 2 drivers that works for hardware 3d acceleration are the Nvidia Blob and the opensource intel for intel gpu (Sandy/Ivy Bridge). i truly want something nice as a kickstarter campaign such a Haiku box or whatever.
Regarding past and future contracts, when we’re talking about 2000€ for 160 hours, don’t forget taxes, an independent contractor is just like a business (here at least) and has to pay taxes on benefits, which means around 50% here in France. So it may be a full time job, but one can’t seriously live with that in most cities nowadays. With all due respect to donators and the org, one must just consider that voluntary work with a small compensation.
I agree. The tax rate for the poor in the US is comparable when you add property taxes. The salary is tiny. The reward is great, when there is a production system, past alpha and beta stages, supported by full time paid staff. The software must be paid for somehow. Donations take a very long time. Charging for distribution CD’s and Instruction Manuals should support a small staff, when in full production. I’m not sure where that income threshold becomes attainable.
Ever thought about a kickstarter program for getting Haiku on Raspberry Pi? From getting the operating system to work as well as develop an enclosure that reeks of Haiku branding?? And then Haiku Inc. could sell the devices cheaply and the community could provide some sort of support channel (similar to other communities and their support channels).
This means porting Haiku to ARM, what’s been abandoned like year ago. Not so much interest from other potential developers, also. Personally I’d love to see Haiku on Pi.
It was not abandoned, the few people involved just had other things to do… I’m still very much interested in keeping it alive, and looking at several options to buy myself some more time to keep working on it…
I don’t know if it has already been done, I just read the thread. I think if it is done well and follows the format of the successfully done projects. It will work. A well done film with details. You could launch it on other Crowdfunding sites as well.
I don’t think there’s any chance to get funds with a kickstarter project related to the OS itself. What i can say, and what i’ve learned reading the kickstarter guidelines is that successfull projects are targeted to do “something”. Basically a winner project should be targeted to something pratical, to some specific usage and specific usefulness. So, people will not donate if you ask generic help in the development of the OS, or for example if you ask funds for a generic “raspberry PI port”, they are more involved to donate if you show them how Haiku could work well as the software of a finished product like “Raspberry pi media center with Haiku”.
I think this is matter of some “knight of fortune” which should be able to find something interesting and productive at the same time. The primary aim would be to define precise goals for the project, be sure that a project without precise and defined goals will not win. I was suggesting the idea of a Haiku-based digital audio pedal, but i think someone with some fantasy could invent something better following this way.
I totally agree. You can take package management as an example. How many tens of thousands of dollars were spent on this alone with no result yet (by result I mean fully functioning end product)? Some sort of Haiku box that is 100% hardware supported is they way to go; as many have said all along. There has to be goals, and results - not open-ended money pits where donors get frustrated because they don’t see results.
If that thing could dual-boot Haiku & Android, I’d gladly pay double just to help fund Haiku and I’m sure many also would.
Again, who would do the work and write the drivers etc. It’s an open source project & people work in their spare time. Perhaps Haiku Inc. could propose that developer’s who worked on getting the hardware to work on such a box would get a share or percentage of the sales, etc. Maybe then certain developers would take a gamble and develop what needs to be developed through such an incentive.
And actually using Kickstarter for this purpose would be very smart. First you raise the funds to develop the system, then second, you sell it and make money from it.
