Making plugins for the next generation Hildon Desktop

The Maemo main UI component, the Hildon Desktop (formerly called as maemo-af-desktop) is in process of being updated and API changes are coming. The purpose of the presentation is to how to create plugins for the desktop (plugin = extension program that extends the functionality of the desktop). The API has been refactored to a completely new, different approach and it now supports also bindings for different languages other than C, such as Python.

As the Hildon Desktop is expanding from Internet tablets to also to desktop UI, usable on any Linux distribution where a touch-screen usability is needed. The plugin tutorial is becoming more and more relevant also to people outside of the Maemo community.

In the scope of the tutorial are:

• Task Navigator plugins
• Home plugins
• and Status bar plugins

I am planning to demonstrate developing plugins inside the scratchbox and also without scratchbox and demonstrate
that the same plugin can work without modifications (with just a recompile in case of plugin developed in C) on the Nokia N800 Internet tablet,
Scratchbox emulated environment and also on the Linux desktop. Also I am planning to show how to do, install & run a Python plugin.