How to start coding in F-Spot
Q: What tool do I need to start coding on F-Spot?
A: Here's what most developers are using:
- a code editor with knowledge of the C# syntax (Emacs, Vim, Gedit, Monodevelop (http://www.monodevelop.com))
- a svn client (please send only patches against the latest version)
- Glade-3 (http://glade.gnome.org) with Gnome support if you have to modify ui bits
- a quite recent Mono (http://www.mono-project.com) stack
Q: Where to start?
A: Yeah, that's right, it takes months to start being familiar with the whole code base... So developers marked some bugs as gnome-love (http://live.gnome.org/GnomeLove) (now they appears with a cute red heart in the bugzilla list). Those bugs should be suitable for new developers. Most of them will require few hours to be completed. Looks like a good starting point, no?
For those bugs, developers will try to be as helpful as possible, provide reviews, and commit them as soon as the code is right enough. Choose your bug from the list (http://bugzilla.gnome.org/reports/keyword-search.cgi?product=f-spot&keyword=gnome-love)!
Q: Any additional reading?
A: Take a look at the HACKING file and at the Get Involved page.
Q: Howto generate a patch ?
A: the most common way to generate a patch is by running "svn diff". Please generate your patches from the f-spot main directory.
.../f-spot$ svn diff > mypatch
If you want new files and directories being included in your patch, "svn add" them first. Yes, you can svn add without having a svn account.
.../f-spot$ vi src/NewClass.cs (edit your new file) .../f-spot$ svn add src/NewClass.cs A src/NewClass.cs .../f-spot$ svn diff > mypatch
Q: Glade-3 generates a very long diff. Is it normal?
A: Yes, it is normal (not really normal but we can't avoid it), but also a bit annoying. When you modify the UI, before submitting the patch of the f-spot.glade file please strip off all the lines not strictly related to your modifications. This will require a bit more work from you, but will help a lot the review of your patch!
Q: I don't know how to write C#, can I do something?
A: There are bugs in the list that could be fixed with no C# knowledge. Helpers for translation and documentation are needed also, check the Get Involved page.
Q: Make install returns error about libfspot.la
A: If
make install
returns
libtool: install: error: cannot install `libfspot.la' to a directory not ending in /usr/lib/f-spot
just issue a
make clean
and recompile. You'll be able to install again.
Q: Glade-3 error about canvasgnome?
A: If when launching glade-3 you get an error like
The following required catalogs are unavailable: canvasgnome
you need to install (on Ubuntu) glade-gnome-3 (http://packages.ubuntu.com/gutsy/gnome/glade-gnome-3)
