As you probably know most of the distributions but opensuse doesn´t want to provide sesame2 backend for soprano. That means that strigi is disabled in KDE4.2 and so nepomuk is ... useless. I would like to have a good tutorial to help people like me to install it on ubuntu (and so to have the semantic desktop). I filled bug report on launchpad but they refuse to package it. I think that because this is the only real backend for soprano this is a big issue for KDE and so the tutorial is very welcome.

I'm using OpenSuse and I'm using Sesame2 with Nepomuk. If you are using OpenSuse 11.1 check here:

http://packages.opensuse-community.org/ ... enSUSE_111

and if you are using OpenSuse 11.0 here:

http://packages.opensuse-community.org/ ... enSUSE_110

On the other side, don't use Strigi with Nepomuk. Actually is good for nothing and eats a lot of resources.

in KDE 4.2 the Strigi data in Nepomuk is put to good use by the Desktop Search runner, allowing you to search from the run dialog.

Note that you will probably need a full development environment ( Qt, Java, etc ) in order to compile the Sesame2 backend. It is available from kdesupport/soprano, and can probably be selectively compiled with the CMakeLists.txt pared down.

In OpenSuse Sesame2 was compiled and dependencies are resolved by YaST .

On the other side, Strigi are, at last, useful with Nepomuk. I'm impressed. Where I can found the language query documentation? A simple example of how can I search my music by author, or my photos by date, will be very useful.

At this time I do not think much documentation is available. I know of only one property: "tag".
there are more than likely others, "artist" "song" "album" etc but only the developers would know.

I hope KFind gets replaced with a more fully featured system based on this ( KFind never worked for me anyway )

Well, that not sound very useful for "common" KDE users, I can't see a simple user reading a C++ program in trunk trying learning how to search in his hard disk, and Tag and Score are available without Strigi.

KDE 4.2 will be the first "common" KDE users release and Strigi in Nepomuk is not ready for that users. Advanced users don't have a problem in activate a check in configuration program, and "common" users probably don't know anything about this check so, I can't understand why this service is enabled by default.

Ignacio Serantes wrote:I'm using OpenSuse and I'm using Sesame2 with Nepomuk. If you are using OpenSuse 11.1 check here:

http://packages.opensuse-community.org/ ... enSUSE_111

and if you are using OpenSuse 11.0 here:

http://packages.opensuse-community.org/ ... enSUSE_110

On the other side, don't use Strigi with Nepomuk. Actually is good for nothing and eats a lot of resources.

I know for openSuse but as I wrote I'm using Ubuntu so I'm not using it opensuse11.1 and most of the computers I help to maintain are not using it neither (and for them with openSuse the installation has already been done). Most of them with this problem does have ubuntu, for Fedora or Debian, the sesame2 backend will never be provide (license problem) by this distributions.

So I have three choices:

- change the distribution (but that will introduce other problem as qalculate is not compile for it as some software I'm currently using to work).
- Compile or install myself sesame2
- forget about KDE4 and using Gnome instead (not my first choice obviously).

Honnestly sesame2 is a big problem and if nothing is done to solve it soon that wil just increase it. User will be disapointed by KDE4.2 (strigi is desactivated if sesame2 not present) in 3 of the major distributions and this backend will never be packaged.

You could grab the openSUSE RPM, and convert it to DEB format using alien.
I think the primary problem behind packaging it is the dependency on Java, which is Non-OSS.

Albert, if you try the workaround proposed by bcooksley in the previous post, could you post if you get any progress?
I don't want to change my distro either but a castrated KDE (Nepomuk is a REAL advance), as you say, is rather disappointing.

Manolete wrote:Albert, if you try the workaround proposed by bcooksley in the previous post, could you post if you get any progress?
I don't want to change my distro either but a castrated KDE (Nepomuk is a REAL advance), as you say, is rather disappointing.

Right now I can't I'm still using hardy so kde4.2 is not for me. I have to upgrade it but I didn't want before 4.2 and I don't have for a month so I think that will be best to wait for jaunty but in the same time I'm thinking of migrating to another distribution. Ubuntu/kubuntu does have too many bug introduce by not applying upstream patch or by changing upstream code (as for the translation).

But it's clearly a good idea but I don't think that will work I think that opensuse path for kde4 is not the same than the one in debian or ubuntu.

bcooksley wrote:I think the primary problem behind packaging it is the dependency on Java, which is Non-OSS.

On openSUSE, sesame2 depends on openJDK/IcedTea, so I don't think it's a real issue.

The problem is that soprano distributes several binary .jar files (binary blobs), which we cannot distribute according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Since sesame2 won't work without these blobs, we therefore cannot distribute sesame2.

JontheEchinda wrote:The problem is that soprano distributes several binary .jar files (binary blobs), which we cannot distribute according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Since sesame2 won't work without these blobs, we therefore cannot distribute sesame2.

So something must be done to solve this problem. Improving redland or convince openrdf to provide the source for the binary blob or bending a little bit debian rules for kubuntu. It's already done by providing some package as nvidia or ati binary drivers so why not for sesame2?

If this is not possible at all. The problem must be tackle with KDE developpers. Everybody, KDE developpers and packagers, must be aware that using sesame2 or not packaging it (doesn't matter which side are you) or not providing an easy way to everybody to install it, will undermine kde4 futur.

For now strigi is disable in pretty all major distributions but openSuse and Mandriva. So Nepomuk is completely useless. I know that all of the people involved in KDE or packaging are trying to do their best to provide a very nice experience with KDE4 but if both team are not playing together that will be a disaster not for only one but for both. For KDE team because users will think that KDE4 is outdated in the technology used inside and KDE based distributions, as Kubuntu, because they will provided castrated version, the other ubuntu/fedora/debian because people will think that they are not interested to provide anything else but Gnome. Another risk is that developpers and packagers will split completly and that a "war" with argument as "It's not our fault but yours" will appear.

It's my point of view and I hope that will be false.

JontheEchinda wrote:The problem is that soprano distributes several binary .jar files (binary blobs), which we cannot distribute according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Since sesame2 won't work without these blobs, we therefore cannot distribute sesame2.

I thought the problem was more thechnical, due to the big quantity of java libraries needed, than licensisng-related.
This is probably too elemental, but regarding to the license issue couldn't Sesame2 be in the non-free, and it's *buntu equivalents, repositories?

I don't know whether or not it could be included. Finding a sponsor for the restricted/multiverse repos would be a pita too...

In theory somebody could upload the backend to a PPA. It would be just about as good as restricted/mutliverse, since you'd have to enable an extra repo in any case.