http://wiki.ubuntu.com/GSoC/2010/TDPark

Tyler Park

Contact information

• Your Name: Tyler Park

• Email Address: orrin.jelo@gmail.com

• IRC nickname: orrinjelo
• Launchpad ID: Orrin Jelo
• Skype username: orrinjelo

• Webpage/blog: http://www.orrinjelo.com

• College-University: Utah Valley University / Brigham Young University
• Major: Physics, minor in CS and Math

Project

• Project Name: XSplash Theme Maker and Utility

• Project Description:

  • A graphical user interface that will simplify the process in making a custom xsplash theme, that is add custom-made logos, backgrounds, throbbers, and animations. It will have a preview mode of the splash screen and an easy theme selection system. Eventually it may include something like image format conversions, such as animated GIFs to the current format.

• If you would be willing and able to do other projects instead, which ones?

  • I think a sound theme creator would also be plausible. Custom event sounds was removed in Karmic (or at least changing the sounds are a bit difficult), and the GUI should help simplify or enable this process. It would include saving and loading themes, and individually selecting sound files.

• Why did you like this idea?

  • It has been something that has been on my mind recently (trying to set up custom xsplash and usplash themes) and it really is a pain to do. I figure now that I'll give some time to this, this project is within my capabilities to program.

• Please describe a tentative project architecture or an approach to it:

  • Written in C/C++, the primary objective for this is to make a utility that will allow the user to create a custom theme by opening various image files (backgrounds, animations, throbbers, logos), copying and modifying these images to various resolutions (screen sizes), and installing the themes. Early versions of the program are planned to be console only; until these primary objectives are functioning fully, the GUI will not be incorporated. After this point, there may be additions such as file conversion (GIF->JPG), animated GIF conversion, package exporting (to DEB), etc. (List may be added to.)

• Give us details about the milestones for this project.

  • I am hoping to have the primary functions implemented by June 30th or sooner. The GUI by July 31st, and any additional functions there after. Details to come about mid-step milestones.

• Why will your proposal benefit Ubuntu?

  • Who doesn't want to make things easier? What other mainstream OS can do this? User customization is and should be one of Ubuntu's strengths.

Open Source

• Please describe any previous Open Source development experience.

  • None.

• Why are you interested in Open Source?

  • We cannot depend on corporate organizations for every one of our computer needs. I am not quite of the opinion of the hacker ethic of "free information," but rather of "free knowledge." Open source is a form of that free knowledge, as knowledge, as I believe, sets us free.

Availability

• How long will the project take? When can you begin?

  • I am hoping to have completion by the end of summer (End of August). This should begin as soon as possible with an optimal goal of turning all attention

• How much time do you expect to dedicate to this project? (weekly)

  • I am estimating a minimum of about 20 hours a week, more where time will allow.

• Where will you based during the summer?

  • Orem/Provo area, Utah

• Do you have any commitments for the summer? (holidays/work/summer courses)

  • There may be a week-long vacation in there at sometime; this only means that communication that week would be little or none. Coding will still be done. Other than that, I plan on moving to another city and working on getting things in order for graduate school, starting about August 30th.

• Please designate a back up student (in case you need to withdraw your application)

  • Rajkumar S.

Other

• Have you ever participated in a previous GSoC? (describe your project)

  • I have not.

• Have you applied for any other 2010 Summer of Code projects? If yes, which ones?

  • I am also interested in the Scilab project. It is a valuable tool like Matlab and Mathematica that many scientists overlook. This, of course, is just another option if this one doesn't go through. I am still very attached to the projects in Ubuntu.

• Why did you apply for the Google Summer of Code?

  • To further my experience writing usable code, to contribute to the community and to reach a sense of accomplishment. And I need something extra to do for summer, plus a few bucks.

• Why did you choose Ubuntu as a mentoring organisation?

  • Ubuntu is a powerful yet simple-to-use operating system that I fell in love with years ago. If I could, I'd switch completely over to Ubuntu on my computers, but, alas, there's the gaming issue and some of our scientific programs in my research require windows (why?!).

• Why do you want to participate and why should Ubuntu choose you?

  • I am willing to learn and I am a hard worker. Now with the cliche answer out of the way, I consider my point of view in life to be somewhat unique--a physicist with the ability to program much better than most of the computer science students at his level. I strive to excel with my programming.