Jolla Launcher Alpha Release [not a question]

asked 2014-06-04 13:48:24 +0200

eric
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https://twitter.com/erkki...

updated 2014-07-20 23:48:19 +0200

penpen
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Jolla Launcher release notes

Current release: Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release (v 0.2.1)

On Monday 21st of July we will release update (v 0.2.1) to Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release. That is possible even in the middle of hottest (literally) summer holiday season in Finland because of our restless team "tdb" & "zuh" from Movial :)

At this time the update is available only for people that have been invited to Alpha testers. However, we are moving towards Beta testing phase during August, and Beta version of Jolla launcher will be available for everyone that registered their email address originally for Alpha testing.

Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release (v 0.2.1) seems to run pretty nicely on Android 4.4.4 in both of Nexus 4 & 5, and it also works under ART compiler. We haven't tested it on Android preview release, but are interested to hear if and how it works on that.

Below is the full list of changes and fixes, please test and report your findings here at together.jolla.com. Please remember to use jolla-launcher tag on your reports, and please also read other instructions below.

List of changes:

• Fix running under ART virtual machine
• "Fix" PIN code query problems by not dismissing the android lockscreen at all. Users need to set lock screen to "none" from the security settings if they want to mimic the Jolla behaviour wrt lock screen.
• Applications are sorted alphabetically (execpt those that have predefined position)
• Folders now show four columns like the launcher grid
• Strip Google prefixes from app titles
• Adjust vibration strength for pulley menus
• Fix volume level indication when switching ambiences
• Show ongoing call screen in switcher so user can easily go back to it from launcher
• Fix for double notifications
• Fix a crash from reference leak, seen when rearranging apps
• Events view hint in lock screen is now disabled
• Debug dump information has been improved
• Extra asset files extraction now works for updates (not user-visible)
• Icon for launching tutorial

Known issues:

• If you start tutorial from icon, there is no other way out than running it all.

Original release: Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release (v 0.2.0)

Key features

Experience Jolla User interface on your Android phone:

• Open phone via Jolla lock screen
  • observe time and other indicators
  • use pulley menu to quickly mute the device or open phone/settings /camera application
• Start Android applications from Jolla application grid
• Swipe back to home from any application
• See Running applications in application covers
  • application cover shows partly screen capture of Android application
• Go back to application by pressing it's cover
• Select Ambience from Ambience menu
  • some preselected Ambiences are provided
• With top swipe you can get access to Android events view
  • Android status bar is normally hidden on the launcher
• Jolla Launcher UI tutorial
  • First time when started, there is a tutorial to learn the basics of Jolla Launcher UI

Jolla Launcher is based on Sailfish OS Update 7 level code & functionality.

Supported devices

This release is targeted for Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 devices running Android 4.3 or later. Release can be installed in many other devices as well, which run Android 4.3 or later but there might be severe issues in those devices.

Known issues

This release of Jolla Launcher includes the Home screen and lock screen from Sailfish OS, without the Events view. Events and notification "hints" are shown on Jolla Launcher lock screen, and events can be accessed via regular Android notification bar accessible via swiping from top of screen.

• SIM PIN query dialog/window may be hidden during device startup, but it should appear at some point
• Sometimes only way to go back to call UI during active call is via Android events view (swiping from top of the screen and pressing active call event)
• No Android application uninstallation from Jolla home
  • Applications can be removed from Jolla application grid, but they are not uninstalled from the Android system
• Random freezes and crashes can occur from time to time
• Screen capture on covers is updated after swiping second time to home from application
  
  • Sometimes /in some devices screen captures don't work reliably
• You need to use Dalvik VM instead of ART. There is a switch in developer settings. Related bug here.

How to get involved

Jolla Launcher can be installed via Google Play. You will get a link to installation if you have been selected to the alpha release testing group.

How to report bugs

Please report issues via together.jolla.com
Always include jolla-launcher tag to your report.
Please also use other descriptive tags, like LG, Nexus4, 4.4.2 and so on.
Please check what are the existing tags that people have already used in order to reduce our filtering work.

If such crash happens in Jolla Launcher that Google crash report function is started, please allow it to send crash report to us via Google Play. Also, please write your email & some description to user data field in order to help us to hunt down the root cause.

Our main target at first is to get Jolla Launcher stable on known reference device (Nexus 4/5). Bugs for other devices will be taken account when time & resources allow us. We have already discovered many device / brand specific Android launcher implementations, that can cause some issues for Jolla Launcher.

Technical & Licensing notes

Jolla Launcher is based on the same Qt/QML code that we are using on Sailfish OS. It is running as native Android application, on top of Qt 5.3 for Android and some other support libraries listed below.

Open source components and their licenses that we have so far used in Jolla Launcher are listed below:

• lipstick: LGPL 2.1
• mlite: LGPL 2.1
• nemo-configuration: BSD
• nemo-contextkit: LGPL 2.1
• nemo-eventfeed: BSD
• nemo-ngf: LGPL 2.1
• nemo-notifications: BSD
• nemo-thumbnailer: BSD
• nemo-time: BSD
• Qt 5.3: LGPL 2.1

Note: by download and installing Jolla Launcher you agree to the Sailfish End User License Agreement, available here: http://jolla.com/sailfish-eula.

Q & A

Q: Why are you limiting the number of Jolla Launcher alpha testers ?

A: We are resource limited on this project as usual, so we try to optimize the amount of feedback to the level that helps us to proceed with Jolla Launcher as fast as possible.

Q: Why are you doing Jolla Launcher alpha testing via Google Play ?

A: GP offers some automated features for this purpose, for example crash reports handling. Also, the aim is to use our resources in optimal way.

Q: How can I help if I am not one of the alpha testers ?

A: You can help by participating and improving the open source projects/components that we are using (that are listed e.g. in release notes).