offspot / overview

Offspot-wide issues and documentation

offspot

offspot by Kiwix is a collection of tools and solutions to support Kiwix Hotspot.

Tool	Description
base-image	raspiOS-like base image builder: adds/removes package, adds some configuration, tweaks and tools, installs offspot_runtime (part of offspot_config)
offspot_runtime	set of scripts to (re-)configure some stuff on boot: network, WiFi, etc.
offspot_config	library for parsing/creating offspot YAML config. Include a Config Builder and an App Catalog
image-creator	somewhat-generic Image creator taking a YAML config as input. YAML config lists all files to download, and includes a complete docker-compose. This is not user-friendly at all. Linux only, runs as root.
Kiwix Imager Service	Web UI to select content. Uses the offspot-config builder to produce YAML. Calls image-creator in worker to build image then uploads it. https://imager.kiwix.org
Kiwix Imager App	Not implemented yet. kiwix-hotspot replacement. UI to select content and configure. Will use offspot-config builder to gen a YAML and call image-creator

overview's Issues

Kiwix Hotspot should act as offline library.kiwix.org

In GitLab by @kelson42 on Dec 6, 2018, 17:38

And the library OPDS stream like the online ZIM files should be available. Like that someone using Kiwix (with a content manager) on this WIFI network, would be able to download the ZIM available on the RPI.

More details at https://wiki.kiwix.org/wiki/OPDS

Update Categories List

As discussed during Hackathon, we acknowledge that the current list of Categories (source-website based) is not satisfactory.

We want to replace it with a new –limited– list, based on Knowledge families ; inspired by the Dewey Classification of the root categories of The Library of Congress or others. @Popolechien will submit something.

We also want those categories to be translated which will lead to a libkiwix ticket.
We also want to explore iconography for categories but this discussion will happen once we have settled on the new list.

We need a Kiwix Hotspot logo

Kiwix Hotspot needs a proper logo. I have seen one with the Kiwix logo ball replaced by the WiFi signed, this would be fine to me.

Hotspot Companion App

⬇️

Manage publishing of apps

Following up on recent discussions, we need to have an option on the installer that would allow for the storage of APKs on the image that could later be downloaded by hotspot users. We currently have Africatik, Maths Matthews, etc. but in the short to medium-term we may have more to offer from Orange or other partners (or simply want to offer OsmAnd).

In terms of UX at installation I do not think it is important to distinguish whether a specific piece of content is dynamic or static as is the case currently. It would be more relevant to select a language, and have the app appear alphabetically with the zim files and an appropriate descriptor or tag.

Once connected to the Kiwix-server I also think that rather than clicking on a box and be taken to a download page, one could directly click on the box and start the download.

Better Tags

As discussed during the Hackathon, we want to improve our usage of ZIM Tags:

• Tag is recognized as an important catalog exploration tool and should thus be used appropriately in readers
• Media/Format (Flavour) is also important, wont intersect with Tags and should thus be better integrated in readers (allow filtering for instance)

Tag strategy change is mostly a change in ZIM Creation, to set them differently (there were no rules).

• Remove Scraper tags
• Use Source tags for Brands (TED, Wikipedia, Gutenberg) when applicable
• Tags are specified in the Language of the ZIM
• Create a limited set of tags to foster reuse of them, limit duplicates and similar-intent with different wording. ⚠️ this will lead to a zimfarm ticket to improve tag-input
• Tags can be extended as the ZIM creator sees fit.

Custom external block page?

We use the kiwix --blockexternal feature that renders as:

We could render an alternative page instead (as we did in CampusAfrica) by simply hijacking ^/catch/external$ requests on the reverse-proxy.

We never did it on kiwix-hotspot but it was considered important on campusafrica…

The url "/content/wikipedia_en_all" was not found on this server

I downloaded and flashed an image from the online custom image creation tool within the last week. After connecting to the hotspot, each of the requested zim files show up on the kiwix landing page, however, when I attempt to access any of them, the server returns a url not found error.