Contest?

[soap]

I was thinking we should have a little informal contest...
An "Update all the broken WPSs contest"
Broken WPSs include but are not limited to:

• Ones which never had the proper directory structure in the .zip file
• Ones listed on the wiki which are hosted elsewhere.  (Need to move the .zip to Rockbox)
• Ones which are broken since the WPS tokenizer changes.
• Ones which don't mention they need a custom build.
• Ones which need one patch - but say they need "Senab's build", etc. (Let's list what specific patches they need.)
• Ones which haven't been kept up to date in any way-shape-form with changing WPS syntax.
• We should also flag ones with known protected copyrighted graphics, and ones with known open source compatible graphics.
• We should also tag revision dates on all those w/o.

What I need:

• Judges.  I can test on Gigabeat, iPod Video and Nano.  (I'd rather test on target than sim, unless someone can convince me otherwise.)
• Contestants.
• Prizes. (Or at least ideas for prizes, I'll cough up prizes if need be.)
• Feedback on this silly idea.

[bascule]

It's certainly a good idea to fix them, but I don't quite see what the competition element is...

Is it finding them , or fixing them?

[xlarge]

It's certainly a good idea to fix them, but I don't quite see what the competition element is...

Is it finding them , or fixing them?

Both!
You get one point for finding one error (first post) and one point for fixing one.

[thenrik]

At least for the Gigabeat, I think that only one author has updated their theme since the wps code changes. I updated the Ajax theme on my player but who is going to update the zip files on the web? If the theme authors don't update the code, who has the authority to update the themes with compliant code?

Tom

[Llorean]

Well, any theme that actually lists a license tells you whether you can or can't update their code. If they don't list a license, then you can't.

But you CAN remove the themes from the page, or clearly mark that they're broken.

[bluebrother]

Feedback on this silly idea.

I like the idea.

Another thing I'm disliking since quite a while is the fact that we ship several themes with Rockbox that aren't working on all targets. Take the Ipod mini, only a few themes are available, while on the h100 series it's much more. I'd really like to see (and was thinking about working on it myself, once I find time) the shipped themes adjusted so they work on all supported targets. As the license for that themes is clear there shouldn't be a problem (except the time ;-)

[RedBreva]

In addition,

Ensuring the same case is used in the wps name etc. as in the .cfg file
  Without this you get a  failure to load in sims on linux

Every theme should set a backdrop, if none required, set it to NULL
Every theme should set Foreground and background colours
Every theme should load an iconset - the default if no custom one required
  Otherwise when changing themes, you can get unreadable display, in appropriate backdrops and massively oversized icons etc.

Personal thing, all the files Backdrops, WPS's and cfg files should reflect the name of the theme - hate having to try and tidy up, and not being sure which files belong with which theme.

I have made a start on the themes held on rockbox-themes, I always check the layout of the zip file to ensure .rockbox etc, File naming and I have check most of the 'daily build' compatible 240x320x16 files to ensure the dates are displayed correctly and that they actually load in the sim....

[soap]

In addition,

Ensuring the same case is used in the wps name etc. as in the .cfg file
  Without this you get a  failure to load in sims on linux

Every theme should set a backdrop, if none required, set it to NULL
Every theme should set Foreground and background colours
Every theme should load an iconset - the default if no custom one required
  Otherwise when changing themes, you can get unreadable display, in appropriate backdrops and massively oversized icons etc.

Personal thing, all the files Backdrops, WPS's and cfg files should reflect the name of the theme - hate having to try and tidy up, and not being sure which files belong with which theme.

All solid points.
Perhaps tonight I (or someone else (feel free to beat me to it)) should write up a wiki page on "WPS Certification"(or some such phrase) - a minimal standard of good WPS practices you can use as a checklist.  

[lights0ut]

Great idea Soap, good point about the icons RedBreva, I'm done with my exams now so I can give some of the 320x240 WPS's a go, and maybe the 240x320's (as I now have a shiny new gigabeat )

[Llorean]

I will say, I don't think resetting to the original iconset is mandatory.

If I find an iconset I like (say a 12x12 one that'll fit many themes), it would be extremely frustrating to have to re-set the icon-set on every theme change.

When you pick a theme using too small a font for your iconset, the icons just overlap, and you can very easily pick a new one, but I think on average themes tend to use fonts in a near enough range that forcing a resetting of icons every single time is perhaps not ideal.

[PHK Brasil]

Every theme should set a backdrop, if none required, set it to NULL
Every theme should set Foreground and background colours
Every theme should load an iconset - the default if no custom one required

I was preparing a reply exactly to talk about this. So, was done. Good Redbreva!

Also, there are WPS themes included on the build with these faults.

Good idea, soap!
♪

[afruff23]

How about we display a notice that all future submitted WPS files are subject to modification for compliant behavior?

[soap]

How about we display a notice that all future submitted WPS files are subject to modification for compliant behavior?

Maybe we create a cute little "badge" jpg we add to the wiki for all "compliant" WPSs?  ie we don't force anything, but acknowledge those WPSs which "go above and beyond the call of duty."

[Llorean]

Well there's often been talk of moving from a wiki to a site that requires submissions in a particular format, but it's never happened yet. Rockbox-themes.org came out of that, but somehow didn't line up with becoming official.

[soap]

Well, any theme that actually lists a license tells you whether you can or can't update their code. If they don't list a license, then you can't.

I thought there was an assumption if there was no license mentioned it was given as a gift to Rockbox, and thus GPL'd?
No?  Poop.