Changes/Micro Bit

Micro Bit

Summary

Enable the use of BBC Micro Bit on Fedora systems. Users will be able develop, and put in new code to their micro:bit devices using Fedora.

Owner

• Name: Kushal Das
• Email: mail@kushaldas.in
• Release notes owner:

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 24
• Last updated: 2016-02-29
• Tracker bug: #1301528

Detailed Description

Micro Bit (or micro:bit) is an ARM-based embedded system designed by the BBC for use in computer education in the UK. It will be given to every 11 year old student in UK. This change will make sure that they can use Fedora to use their devices.

Things need to be done:

• Package uFlash, it is the utility for flashing the BBC micro:bit with Python scripts and the MicroPython runtime. (Python3 only package). Review is now approved.
• Submit more patches to mu , the "micro" editor to make sure that it is ready to be packaged for Fedora. This editor will be used to write Python code on the desktop, and then put into the micro:bit devices. This is also written in Python 3, and uses PyQt5 module. Review is now approved.
• Optional Package yotta so that people can compile micropython itself.

One of the official BBC method of using the device is to write code in a standard web editor, we will be supporting that method too.

MicroPython is an "official" solution for the micro:bit. The Python Software Foundation are one of the partners in the project and the BBC asked us to provide such a solution (ntoll is leading the efforts from the PSF side of things). But

"Mu" is a community generated (i.e. from the Python community) editor that *initially* targets the micro:bit. In the wider Python context, there's been talk of a kid/teacher/beginner friendly editor that's recommended for Python "in general". Plans are afoot to make "mu" meet this requirement.

Benefit to Fedora

Enabling the development of Micro Bit programs will enable regular Fedora users to use their normal system for this. This change will also may bring in more young developers to Fedora ecosystem as we will be the first distribution to fully support the development for the board.

Scope

• Proposal owners: To implement this change

• Other developers: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Release engineering: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • List of deliverables: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Upgrade/compatibility impact

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

How To Test

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

User Experience

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Dependencies

• uFlash
• mu

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No
• Blocks product? product

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)