Difference between revisions of "Android/Gecko"

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Always more people use [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Smartphone smartphones] as medium for their digital life. This is especially the case in emerging countries which are targeted by Kiwix. We think [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29 Android] will be the most important mobile platform in the next years, especially for the cheapest devices. Android is in addition, [http://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance to the opposite of the Apple app. store], open to free softwares. Consequently our next big step, is to port Kiwix to Android.
Always more people use [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Smartphone smartphones] as medium for their digital life. This is especially the case in emerging countries which are targeted by Kiwix. We think [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29 Android] will be the most important mobile platform in the next years, especially for the cheapest devices. Android is in addition, [http://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance to the opposite of the Apple app. store], open to free softwares. Consequently our next big step, is to port Kiwix to Android.


We do not want to start an other software which would generate a lot of additional code to develop and maintain. So, current Kiwix code base has to be reused and ported. Kiwix runs currently with the help of [https://developer.mozilla.org/fr/xulrunner Xulrunner], but it can also runs perfectly using Firefox. [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/getting_started_with_xulrunner#Alternative.3a_Use_Firefox3_-app_to_run_XUL_apps Firefox can since version 3 is able to launch third party software], like Kiwix. [https://wiki.mozilla.org/Fennec Fennec], Firefox for mobiles, was launched a few month ago for Android, so we hope that Kiwix could be ported to Android using Fennec or something similar (see [http://joliclic.free.fr/blog/index.php?category/mozilla this example]).
The [http://www.wikimedia.org Wikimedia Fundation] is really interested in the Android Version and grants the development of this port.
 
We focus firstly on tablets because this seems to be there where kiwix can help a lot, especially in India, but the software should also run on smartphones an we will do our best in that way.


We need for this task someone with good knowledges in C++, compilation and with know-how in porting C++ softwares to Android. Someone with enough motivation to build a prototype of XUL (with custom C++ XPCOM components) application running on Android could also match the requirements.
== Development ==


== Todo ==
We do not want to start an other software which would generate a lot of additional code to develop and maintain. So, current Kiwix code base has to be reused and ported. Kiwix runs currently with the help of [https://developer.mozilla.org/fr/xulrunner Xulrunner], but it can also runs perfectly using Firefox. [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/getting_started_with_xulrunner#Alternative.3a_Use_Firefox3_-app_to_run_XUL_apps Firefox can since version 3 is able to launch third party software], like Kiwix. [https://wiki.mozilla.org/Fennec Fennec], Firefox for mobiles, was launched a few month ago for Android, so we hope that Kiwix could be ported to Android using Fennec or something similar (see [http://joliclic.free.fr/blog/index.php?category/mozilla this example]).


== Download ==
== See also ==
* https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fennec/Android

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