How many of you knew about this project?
Info
Plasma Bigscreen is a Plasma-based shell (desktop environment) for TVs and other large displays. It is designed to be used with arrow navigation using remotes or controllers.
Links
It’s been pretty ignored but I understand there’s been a fair bit of recent development on it by a single dev that’s taken an interest. Hard to say how long that’s going to continue, and it still has a long way to go to be something like LibreELEC/Kodi.
I don’t know why they make this. Video streaming services don’t support Linux.
Most KDE projects are acts of (dare I say it) love 💘 . People start projects, contribute to them, and maintain them, because they love them. The original spark may be need, an itch that needs scratching, but what keeps a project going is the thought that “wouldn’t it be fun if…”.
So that’s your first reason.
The second reason is that the status quo doesn’t stay the same forever. You are right: support for Linux on streaming for Linux users sucks and is often deliberately fked. But the status quo of, say games on Linux… oh, what? Five years ago? Also sucked and was deliberately fked, and look now.
KDE is not a company. It’s contributors do not have to adhere to schedules or the current status quo. They can wait and improve as they wait. Very often the work they put into pays off in the future for the benefit of everybody.
And that is reason number 2.
So that’s your first reason.
That explains absolutely nothing…
But the status quo of, say games on Linux… oh, what? Five years ago?
The status quo of Linux native gaming hasn’t changed. What’s changed is a compatibility layer.
Are you saying there’s going to be a compatibility layer for iOS apps or something?
That explains absolutely nothing…
It explains the question of “why do they make this”.
What’s changed is a compatibility layer.
Much more than that. What has changed is that studios explicitly work towards compatibility with it.
Are you saying there’s going to be a compatibility layer for iOS apps or something?
Well, there are already those for Android.
Wouldn’t be surprising if someone did the same for Tizen or any of the other vendor’s SmartTV systems. They all Linux systems after all.
Also this is only an issue for some proprietary apps. Some of which are often just fancy frontends for services which are also accessible in a web browser.
The people working on this might not even be using those
It explains the question of “why do they make this”.
No.
What has changed is that studios explicitly work towards compatibility with it.
There’s no work required.
Well, there are already those for Android.
They don’t work without a ton of futzing around with microg and whatnot, and Google is actively trying to break them.
Some of which are often just fancy frontends for services which are also accessible in a web browser.
Which doesn’t have the interface that this entire concept is about, and is limited to 720p.
Me. I knew of this project. I’m waiting on it being ready to use on my HTPC
I vaguely recall it, but lost track of it. Any list of devices it works on, or will work on?