Keshav

Oct 14, 2020

Please welcome FOSS developer

Keshav Bhatt, @keshavmail68

Oct 14th to 21th on @imakefoss

Interview: https://t.co/O4zaK061eY

@imakefoss is a Twitter rotation curation account. https://t.co/4st0VCpFXe

Oct 14, 2020

Hello everyone!

I am glad to be part of this platform for the week. With this opportunity, I would like to discuss how we can use various technologies, toolkits to make Open Source Apps for Desktop Linux, and broaden the app ecosystem.

-Keshav Bhatt https://t.co/4OBO6biATW

Oct 14, 2020

I will start with ‘Why Desktop Linux needs more GUI applications".

We all agree that there are millions of console-based powerful utilities available for Linux Desktop/Server & that’s what makes Linux the only choice in server space. 1/n https://t.co/DQTNqpDBsJ

Oct 14, 2020

But what about GUI applications for Desktop? Yes, we lag in this section if we compare the share with other major successful Desktop OS in the market right now.
2/n

Oct 14, 2020

Linux on Desktop has always been looked at as a secondary choice by users as most of us get Windows or MacOs preinstalled on our newly purchased systems. This has changed in recent times but the ratio is still very low. 3/n

Oct 14, 2020

It is also not very difficult to get a Linux OS installed on a system at present time. The problem starts when the user starts struggling to find good quality GUI applications, 4/n

Oct 14, 2020

One might argue on this statement but the Desktop userbase is very diverse. Users are coming from different backgrounds with different mental abilities and ways they use their desktop to perform a task. 5/n

Oct 14, 2020

An experienced Linux Desktop user feels very convenient performing tasks by popping up a terminal window, type a bunch of commands, and get the job done. But hey, not everyone is comfortable with this way of doing things. 6/n

Oct 14, 2020

We slowly need to change this, By making more GUI applications for Linux Desktop. I will share many new application ideas throughout this week, which we can make happen by collaborating in any possible way.
7/n

Oct 14, 2020

We will also discuss many reasons and challenges that we face while targetting Linux Desktop for developing GUI applications. 8/8

  • Keshav Bhatt

Oct 14, 2020

@greenman023 As I said before in one of my tweets above ‘Some of you will disagree".

The Desktop user base (Not Linux Desktop userbase) is very diverse. People use their computers to perform various tasks.

Oct 14, 2020

@greenman023 I agree with your other point ‘Linux and FOSS lack good manuals". Indeed manuals play a big role as they provide important information on ‘how to use a product’ to end-users. There are many Open-source applications out there where one can contribute by writing manual/translating.

Oct 15, 2020

Before we jump in and plan to make a new GUI application targeting the platform, We should learn about different GUI toolkits available for it. So, today we will be discussing various GUI toolkit available for Linux Desktop. 1/n https://t.co/InMtGzVvir

Oct 15, 2020

Choosing a toolkit can be a challenge. It’s an important decision because it typically decides how the application will behave & work on the platform you are targetting. In this thread, I will give my opinions on the most commonly used GUI toolkits in Linux Desktop ecosystem. 2/n

Oct 15, 2020

I will start by listing considerations one should make while choosing Toolkit for GUI application development:

  • Language of development: official support and bindings for programming languages.

3/n

Oct 15, 2020

  • Native widgets support: produces widgets that render & look closer to other applications on the platform.

-Availability of documentation & online support: provide easily accessible documentation for developers to learn how properly write implementations.

4/n

Oct 15, 2020

-Maintenance of the library bindings and the library itself.

In my next tweet, I will try to draw a quick comparison between commonly used GUI Toolkit used to target applications development on Linux Desktop.

5/5

Oct 15, 2020

Feel free to discuss or extend what other considerations one should make while choosing a toolkit for development.

  • Keshav Bhatt.

Oct 16, 2020

Today I will try to draw a quick comparison between commonly used GUI toolkit, which may help you make your toolkit selection decision easy.

A thread: https://t.co/H3nkflSuev

Oct 16, 2020

All this data/information will be available for easy reading at https://t.co/XY6EOxSEyG

Let’s start with GTK/GTK+ first: Website: https://t.co/heczlPNHpt

#GTK+ #GTK #development #Linux #GUI #applications https://t.co/ABgD0JD7Mx

Oct 16, 2020

wxWidgets: Website: https://t.co/shmNzZ9h6P

#wxWidgets #GUI #Linux #FOSS #DEVCommunity #imakefoss https://t.co/Yk2GKDCCnW

Oct 16, 2020

Qt (cute): Website: https://t.co/tv229YOsTo

#qt @qtproject #FOSS #GUI #application #Development #DEVCommunity https://t.co/QVrjfy5UXK

Oct 16, 2020

@qtproject Flutter Website: https://t.co/V97N2uRYPG

#Flutter #flutterdev #Desktop #development #GUI #application #DEVCommunity #Linux #imakefoss

Oct 17, 2020

‘Too often technical enthusiasts fall into the trap of creating more Linux distributions. We don’t need more Linux distributions. Stop making Linux distributions, make applications instead."

  • Alan Pope (@popey : Developer Advocate at @Canonical)

Oct 17, 2020

If you are planning to build GTK widgets based application with popular programming languages like Python, C, C++, Rust, and even Javascript. Here is the link which may help you get started : https://t.co/hnAPXvtxVr

  • Keshav Bhatt

#Linux #GTK @GTKtoolkit #Developer #FOSS https://t.co/XGT7cPuVWC

Oct 17, 2020

If you are planning to build Qt widgets based application with programming languages like C++, Python, Rust, QML etc

Here are the links which may help you get started : With KDE libs - https://t.co/GQceqdjlMS Qt - https://t.co/eNMdwi9MCz

#qt @qtproject #Linux

-Keshav Bhatt https://t.co/pcfP4EfIxs

Oct 17, 2020

If you are planning to build wxWidgets based application with popular programming languages like Python, C++, Perl, and C# !

Here are few link which may help you get started : https://t.co/GFzFB1zYsv

https://t.co/IdLImSRdFB

@wxwidgets #Linux #development

Oct 17, 2020

Design beautiful, Expressive and Flexible Applications with Flutter with Dart programming language !

Some resources which may help you get started : https://t.co/nZS44pWO1T https://t.co/S7rVPQo1wn https://t.co/sCxq6Llt70

#Flutter #flutterdev @FlutterDev #Linux

Oct 18, 2020

Yesterday I shared many GUI toolkits and how one can get started using them to create applications for Linux Desktop and contribute to FOSS.

Today we will talk about various ways developers can share their creation with a bigger audience. https://t.co/784OVX3iOK

Oct 18, 2020

Once you have developed an application that runs on your local machine, You wish to share it with a wider audience. 2/n

Oct 18, 2020

There has been an issue in the past where the developer had to package their applications in different formats to make it available on various Linux distributions. 3/n

Oct 18, 2020

But in a few recent years, Thanks to the universal Linux applications packaging formats like AppImage, Flatpak, and Snaps. Now applications packaged in one of these formats ensures that it will run as expected on a wide range of supported Linux Distros. 4/n

Oct 18, 2020

  • AppImage

Distribute your desktop Linux application in the AppImage format and win users running all common Linux distributions. Package once and run everywhere. Reach users on all major desktop distributions.

Learn more: https://t.co/MUeuqwX1iV

#AppImage #Linux @probonopd

Oct 18, 2020

@probonopd -Flatpak

Flatpak is a framework for distributing desktop applications on Linux. It has been created by developers who have a long history of working on the Linux desktop and is run as an independent open source project.

Learn more: https://t.co/LxvhccRhUn

#Linux @FlatpakApps

Oct 18, 2020

@probonopd @FlatpakApps - Snapcraft

Snapcraft is a powerful and easy to use command-line tool for building snaps. Snaps are app packages for desktop, cloud, and IoT that are easy to install, secure, cross-platform and dependency-free.

Learn more: https://t.co/fgGtMCslvb

#Linux @snapcraftio #Ubuntu

Oct 19, 2020

Yesterday we talked about different ways developers can share their creation in Linux Desktop Ecosystem.

Since I am putting my efforts particularly on How we can broaden the App ecosystem of Linux on Desktop,

a thread : 1/n https://t.co/rbJqW49V8Z

Oct 19, 2020

Today I will try to put some light on how we are behind in this section in comparison to corporate-backed proprietary counterparts.

Also, yesterday I specifically chose to include three universal Linux app binary formats or containers. I will give my reason for this too.

2/n

Oct 19, 2020

These thoughts are my personal and are not to hurt the feelings of people who are happy with the existing state of the Linux Desktop App ecosystem.

3/n

Oct 19, 2020

I think that User Applications plays a vital role in making the newcomers stay using any Operating system. Ex. Windows XP is still used in many businesses (not because people love the Desktop environment it comes with, No harsh feeling for the D.ev developers)

4/n

Oct 19, 2020

due to the compatibility of applications, they are using in their business environment.

These businesses using Windows XP still contributes to the market share of Windows OS.

5/n

Oct 19, 2020

XP share is still higher than Ubuntu acc. to the first search result on Google (https://t.co/QcM3UQHqBy).

One reason most of us are familiar with why new users are unable to port to Linux is that they do not find applications they were using on the OS they are coming from.

6/n

Oct 19, 2020

And those particular applications are not made available here because their owners/developers think porting their app for an OS with a low market share is a waste of resources. This is what you will get in response if you ask them to port their app for Linux Desktop.

7/n

Oct 19, 2020

While at the same time they are good to put their resources in OS like Android that is also a Linux-based mobile OS.

I have been seeing major changes & good upgrades in Linux Desktop since I am using it, Most of what I saw is the changes in User experience and UI,

8/n

Oct 19, 2020

that comes from the development of the D.ev . This is what a normal user will notice. They do not care/know about OS vitals and low-level stuff that it does. Here Linux Desktop developers need to make their scope wider & target a wider audience and not just computer geeks.

9/n

Oct 19, 2020

So what is stopping people from stay using Linux on their Desktop? Certainly not the Desktop environment but the poor app ecosystem for both developers & the users.

A link with few facts that some of you may agree with (see software section) : https://t.co/UUH4SFgEGT

10/n

Oct 19, 2020

Here if I have proven that applications play a major role in deciding the market share of an OS, let’s take some real-world example by searching for simple little utilities on store fronts of all major desktop OS’s,

11/n

Oct 19, 2020

I will post few screenshots showing availability of basic applications just for example: https://t.co/ua3MjaQL8e

Oct 19, 2020

It’s hard to disagree that Linux Desktop lag when it comes to GUI applications, I can make thousands of similar examples but this is enough to understand the point.

13/14

Oct 19, 2020

Linux users who can give their time and efforts can pay back to the community and FOSS by creating a thriving GUI application ecosystem (just like we have of console-based applications) for all newcomers.

14/15

Oct 19, 2020

So they can stay longer and keep using the Linux Desktop & not go away just because they can not spend their time learning all these command-line utilities.

15/15

  • Keshav Bhatt

https://t.co/XY6EOxSEyG

#Linux #DevCommunityIN #DEVCommunity #Desktop #softwaredevelopment #FOSS

Oct 20, 2020

New Application announcement 📣

Initial preview of CurrencyConv Application is available at https://t.co/IDsCtKCEcZ

Source code here : https://t.co/vF7OV9R3ZV

  • Keshav Bhatt

#Linux #Desktop #DevCommunityIN #Ubuntu @snapcraftio #Snapcraft #FOSS @omgubuntu #softwaredevelopment https://t.co/iOKVn5HU7T

Oct 21, 2020

Yesterday its was a busy day for me, within the last 17 hours after I shared the tweet showing the amount of application search results that came out when I tried to search for a simple Currency converter application in different OS stores.

1/n

Oct 21, 2020

I got myself busy writing a little utility to fill up that result count in one of the Linux Desktop Storefronts. Though I was not able to create much attention with my example, I hope a few of you were able to get the point.

2/n

Oct 21, 2020

I don’t know how this can inspire other people but I enjoy doing this by myself. Publishing applications for Linux Desktop is a very pleasant experience nowadays, thanks to the availability of Universal application packages like Snaps, Flatpak, and Appimages.

3/n

Oct 21, 2020

These packaging formats ensures that apps you publish will run on all modern Linux Desktop OS’s and cuts down the maintenance burden for us developers.

4/n

Oct 21, 2020

Currency Converter was just a little example, There are a lot of app ideas I will be sharing today with you guys in this same thread. You are also welcome to engage and pass your app ideas in replies.

5/n

Oct 21, 2020

For the few coming days I will be adding new features/improving my newly published app https://t.co/pMzq8tSHFl (i have received many suggestions from people), you guys are welcome to contribute however you feel like. Next am going to share few app ideas for Linux Desktop

6/n

Oct 21, 2020

An app to make DOODLE videos:

A few days ago, I was looking for an application similar to https://t.co/C2IWv6KQkZ for making some sort of doodle videos.

It’s a nice opportunity for anyone interested in making one natively for Linux Desktop.

7/n

Oct 21, 2020

An app for signing PDFs We lack PDF signing tools here on Linux. Most of the available options are outdated or are no longer maintained. Lots of businesses need this tool for Digitally signing the documents they share.

8/n

Oct 21, 2020

A Simple Image Editor, and an Image converter

A Simple Image Editor like Fotor for macOs (https://t.co/pvCOeZgLDc) and a simple batch Image converter like (https://t.co/3R1usHjrRJ) .

9/n

Oct 21, 2020

The list is endless, one can explore more ideas using many web based app store alternatives of other OS’s. MacOs - https://t.co/kRMzPg5z6y Windows - https://t.co/7nOs3OkZVG

-Keshav Bhatt

10/10

Oct 21, 2020

It’s been a very wonderful week :) I hope some of you were able to find something valuable from my contribution. It’s time for me to pass the mike to Mr. Marvin Karegyeya (@nuwe1_).

Remember, we need to make a thriving GUI app ecosystem for #Linux Desktop!

  • Keshav Bhatt