Python for S60 1.9.0 released

[tvijayan]

Here comes a Christmas gift for the PyS60 community from the Python for S60 team!

Python for S60 1.9.0 is now released.

You can download the release from maemo garage
https://garage.maemo.org/frs/?group_id=854

This release runs on S60 3rd edition, S60 3rd edition FP1, S60 3rd edition FP2 and S60 5th edition devices.

The release includes:
- Self signed device binaries for S60 3rd Ed and S60 3rd Ed FP2 (which will work even on S60 3rd Ed FP1 and S60 5th Ed devices respectively).
- Installer for Windows platform that includes
----- Getting started guide
----- PyS60 runtime sis
----- PythonScriptShell sis
----- Application packaging tool with GUI and README
----- Python HTML documentation updated with S60 module reference
- Archive package for Linux/Mac that includes
----- PyS60 runtime sis
----- PythonScriptShell sis
----- Application packaging tool with README
----- Python HTML documentation updated with S60 module reference
- Python source code
- OpenSSL source code
- PyQt source code

The Python runtime component and the PythonScriptShell packages are self signed with the user-grantable capability set.
The capability set for S60 3rd Ed is ReadUserData WriteUserData NetworkServices LocalServices UserEnvironment.
The capability set for S60 3rd Ed FP2 is ReadUserData WriteUserData NetworkServices LocalServices UserEnvironment Location.

Expectation management: THIS IS NOT A FINAL PRODUCT.

This is the first, rough release of a code-base that has been rewritten to a large extent. Just like we did with the 1.1.x and 1.3.x
series, this will start a new development series of relatively frequent 1.9.x releases. We want to involve you in the development and
testing process so that you can point out any sharp edges and pointy bits that the releases may have.

The idea is to expose the code to early testing and gather feedback so that the final PyS60 2.0 can be solid and fulfill YOUR needs.

Our targets for the final 2.0 are:

- Better usability for the developer and the end user:

- Easier runtime deployment. It must be possible for a developer to package their application in a way that the end user doesn't need
to think about the runtime installation. Note that we're not saying the end user doesn't have to _install_ the runtime, we're just saying
they don't need to _think_ about it.

- Easier tools installation and SIS packaging for Python applications. Especially packaging Python applications to SIS has proved to be pretty
tough with all the dependencies you need to install. The 1.9.0 release improves things with the new all-in-one installer that gives you the
packaging tool, the documentation and the SIS files you need for development in one package. The user-friendly Ensymble tool is now official,
and there is a GUI for one-button package creation.

- Easier and more robust ways to use and distribute 3rd party extension modules with your application. Free use of third party extensions is
one of the main advantages of Python, and we want to enable and encourage that. We'll improve the Ensymble packaging tool to automatically
bundle modules not included in the base runtime into your application SIS, as well as specify how a module author can distribute their
module to other developers so that the module can be easily used.

- Integrated HTML documentation: The S60 specific documentation is now a part of the full Python documentation so you no longer need to switch
between them.

- Reliability and compliance with the standard Python. We've put effort into automatic testing on multiple target platforms as well as fixing
any noncompliance revealed by Python's own regrtest.py test suite. The compliance isn't perfect yet, but it's much better than with the old
1.4.x code-base.

- Quicker start-up and smaller base runtime package size than with 1.9.0.

- Selected API additions. Qt support is definitely on the roadmap. Schedule we can't give yet.

- Support for non-Windows platforms for things other than C++ extension development. Already preliminary support is available in 1.9.0, which
contains an all-in-one archive that gives you the packaging tool, the documentation and the SIS files.

Now, on to what we have now - the 1.9.0 release.

Let's start with the bad news first. Here are some of the things that are worse in 1.9.0 than in 1.4.5:

- The interpreter start-up time is considerably longer than in 1.4.x. We'll optimize this.

- The runtime package is much bigger than with 1.4.x. This'll get smaller once we have the modified packaging model working - estimate is that
the final base runtime would be less than 1MB.

- There is an additional dependency to the OpenC libraries, which must be installed for the runtime to work.

- Sadly, S60 2.x devices are not supported by the new code-base, and never will be. This is because OpenC libraries aren't available for S60 2.x.

- This initial release is aimed at script developers, not extension developers, thus no plug-in to the C++ SDK is included. The C++ SDK plug-in
should follow soon.

- Binary compatibility between 1.9.x versions isn't guaranteed until 2.0. We won't break it without good reason, but it can happen.

But, on the brighter side:

- Python 2.5.1 core, with much better compliance to the standard Python than before. Most of the modules in the standard library are
included - basically almost all that make sense on this platform and even some that don't (for regression testing purposes). This
includes such goodies as the Expat XML parser, ftplib, smtplib, urllib2, xmlrpclib, SimpleHTTPServer, cPickle, asyncore and especially the
much more compliant socket module. Garbage collection is enabled, so there is no need to dismantle reference cycles anymore.

- Packaging Python applications to SIS files is much easier. The user-friendly Ensymble tool is now the official packaging tool, and we've made
a GUI for it so packaging your application is now just a button press away.

- The environment for SIS packaged applications is closer to the script shell environment, since the script shell is no longer a special case
but just a regular application packaged using the Ensymble tool. This should make testing your application easier.

- SIS packaged applications are now more robust:

- If the runtime is missing and you try to launch the application, a human readable error message is displayed instead of the application just
failing to start, like before.

- If the application raises an exception on start-up, the traceback is printed on the screen instead of the application quitting silently.

- The applications have a default text console just like in the script shell environment, so printing text using the print statement works the
same way in SIS packaged apps and the script shell.

- On S60 3rd Ed FP2 devices, access GPS out of the box without signing hassle! Since S60 3rd Ed FP2 devices now permit the Location capability
for self-signed applications, that capability is now enabled by default in the S60 3rd Ed FP2 binaries.

- Almost all of the old 1.4.x Python APIs are included. The rest should be added during the 1.9.x series.

Bug reports, patches and feature requests can be filed in mamemo garage. That's what we track regularly, not every thread in the discussion
board. If you post a bug report only in the DiBo, we might miss it.

Bugs: https://garage.maemo.org/tracker/?at...54&func=browse
Feature Requests: https://garage.maemo.org/tracker/?at...54&func=browse
When filing bugs, include the device you used, its firmware version (you can see this by entering *#0000# in the idle screen), the PyS60 version
and a minimal test case (if applicable).

For more details on reporting bugs refer the "Reporting Bugs" section of the Python documentation.

That's it for now. Try it out, send feedback and stay tuned for 1.9.1.

Happy hacking!

-- Python for S60 team

[bogdan.galiceanu]

Very cool

Indeed installing and launching takes a bit longer, but that's understandable since this is more of a sketch of things to come.

The PyS60 Application Packager is brilliant, there's no other word for it; Ensymble with GUI is just terrific. And the new Python 2.5.1 core is a great addition too

Thank you PyS60 team for this great Christmas gift. Happy holidays and a wonderful new year to you

[Rafael T.]

WOW

Now I understand why you guys were so busy

Now this was just what we expected! And Ensymble with GUI was such a great surprise

Congratulations for PyS60 team, great work!!!

Thanks for this Xmas gift!

Happy holidays for everybody


PS: Start up of the Script Shell is really too slow, hope you guys will fix that!
PS2: Don't forget to unstick the 1.4.5 release thread



Excited about this release,

Rafael.

[cyke64]

Don't forget to unstick the 1.4.5 release thread



Excited about this release,

Rafael.

@rafael : Don't unstick the 1.4.5 because it's the stable version !
1.9.X is the unstable version and there's no version for 2nd edition !
So 2nd S60 device will be ALWAYS stick to PyS60 1.4.5 !!!

Merry Christmas to PyS60 team and everybody
Great job and wonderful gift

BR
Cyke64

[Lukas Hetzenecker]

Hello,

wow, this is REALLY GREAT news!

- Selected API additions. Qt support is definitely on the roadmap. Schedule we can't give yet.

I'm really looking forward to this.
Will S60 3rd Edition (Version 3.0) also be supported?
because in the trolltech (or nokia/qt software or their new name ) blogs I only read about "Qt for S60 3.1 and later versions" ( http://labs.trolltech.com/blogs/2008...0-pre-release/ )

[gaba88]

merry Christmas to all

and what a Christmas gift it has been. Congrats to pys60 team

the ensymble with GUI was really a surprise i liked it the most.

Enjoy Pythoning
Gaba88

[croozeus]

Hello,

What a beautiful X'mas morning it has been for me.

I just feel that Santa has come at night and put PyS60 1.9.0 is my sock.

Along with the new release, I just feel you have made packaging easier and comfortable for the users.

Qt support is definitely on the roadmap. Schedule we can't give yet.

- Support for non-Windows platforms for things other than C++ extension development. Already preliminary support is available in 1.9.0, which
contains an all-in-one archive that gives you the packaging tool, the documentation and the SIS files.

That is Qt !

I just wonder why the project was moved to maemo


Great Job Jukka, Vijiyan and the PyS60 team,
Merry Christmas,

Best Regards,
Croozeus

[croozeus]

Just one more thing- Thanks for the reduced size assurance, as for now the size of the sis file is 2.8 Mb. And the application is 6MB in the application manager.

[james1980]

hi all
Merry Christmas to all ....
Nice xmas gift for alll
But 2nd edition user have nothing to do with this new release.

Regards.....

[JOM]

Here comes a Christmas gift for the PyS60 community from the Python for S60 team!

Thanx thanx thanx

- PyQt source code

Hmph, doesn't PyQt require commercial license for any non-free or non-GPL source coded apps? Anyway, nice to have PyQt, but please tell about licensing - especially if Qt for S60 will really be available for free for commercial sw, too?

- Integrated HTML documentation: The S60 specific documentation is now a part of the full Python documentation so you no longer need to switch
between them.

...but I like to have PyS60 manual separately! Python is python is python, but PyS60 was the interesting part: how to do UI, how to use S60 services, what are the exceptions - all in one nice tight printable manual! I sure hope this is not buried and hidden deep down into hundreds of pages of standard python docs!

- Selected API additions.

Ok, have to download and install

- Binary compatibility between 1.9.x versions isn't guaranteed until 2.0. We won't break it without good reason, but it can happen.

Well... does this make a difference for "script author" people? Who needs to be aware of this? Can you give any problematic use cases? C++ extension developers?

- Almost all of the old 1.4.x Python APIs are included.

Hope you have listed missing APIs in docs...

Bug reports, patches and feature requests can be filed in mamemo garage. That's what we track regularly, not every thread in the discussion
board. If you post a bug report only in the DiBo, we might miss it.

Huh! I have too many questions to ask about this...

Very happy with this Xmas present,

--jouni

[rickhuangyan]

hi all
Merry Christmas to all ....
Nice xmas gift for alll
But 2nd edition user have nothing to do with this new release.

Regards.....

Kinda late catching this information...
Merry Christmas!

Appended: The windows setup cannot finish... because it cannot detect Python25 successfully installed...
Do we have a way manually install these parts?

--
Regards.

[croozeus]

Yes, please install binaries of Python 2.5.1 ! Then run the setup. It would be required for Ensymble operations.

[anand_83]

The reason might be that you have a different 2.5 version of python installed on your system, may be a 2.5.2 ?? But the PyQt version pacakged with the installer is built against Python 2.5.1, so it becomes mandatory for you to have 2.5.1 installed.

[cyke64]

Kinda late catching this information...
Merry Christmas!

Appended: The windows setup cannot finish... because it cannot detect Python25 successfully installed...
Do we have a way manually install these parts?

--
Regards.

Merry xmas too !

Yes installation of this HUGE package take A LOT of time !
Here's my experience :
Python 2.5.1 was ALREADY installed on my PC
- try to install the package
-> choose repair 2.5.1 but don't work !
- try to install the package
-> choose remove 2.5.1 OK
- try to install the package
-> choose to install PYQT but don't work you have to reboot first
- reboot ...
- try to install the package
-> PYQT installed after a VERY LONG time !
-> Python for S60 containing Application Packager (GUI for Ensymble) and Python S60 documentation (Python doc format) in HTML files !

I hope that my installation experience can help someone

Happy Debugging
Cyke64

-

[gaba88]

Merry xmas too !
I hope that my installation experience can help someone

Happy Debugging
Cyke64

-

Hello Cyke

indeed it was helpful.
specially to me. since yesterday i am very busy in installing the new python just got a bit of success.

Enjoy Pythoning
Gaba88