gPhoto 0.4.0 NEWS -- new libraries and important changes.  Oct 04 1999

Please report bugs to the Bug Tracking System (http://bugs.gnome.org)
Mail source diff patches and comments to: <gphoto-devel@gphoto.org>


AVAILABILITY

* ftp://ftp.gphoto.org/projects/gphoto/pub/tar/stable/gphoto-0.4.0.tar.gz

i386/src RPMs (built on RedHat 6.0) of 0.4.0 are also available:

* ftp://ftp.gphoto.org/projects/gphoto/pub/rpm/i386/gphoto-0.4.0-1.i386.rpm
* ftp://ftp.gphoto.org/projects/gphoto/pub/rpm/SRPMS/gphoto-0.4.0-1.src.rpm

'slink' packages (for the i386, m68k, powerpc and alpha architectures) for
gphoto-0.4.0 will soon be available from a local Debian GNU/Linux mirror.


REQUIREMENTS

* X11 Window system: ftp://ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.3.5/
* GNU sed: ftp://gnudist.gnu.org/pub/gnu/sed/sed-3.02.tar.gz
* GTK+ 1.2+: ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v1.2/gtk+-1.2.5.tar.gz
* glib 1.2+: ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v1.2/glib-1.2.5.tar.gz
* imlib 1.8+: ftp://www.rasterman.com/pub/enlightenment/enlightenment/imlib-1.8.1.tar.gz


NEWS

* Canon PowerShot A5 support (Oct 03 1999)

Ole W. Saastad <o.w.saastad@kjemi.uio.no>
has done some additions to the Canon A50 
library, for Canon PowerShot A5 support.


* Sony DSC 55E still library (Oct 02 1999)

Mark Davies <mdavies@dial.pipex.com> has written a 
Sony DSC 55E still library.


* Konica QM 100/200 library and FreeBSD/Linux patches (Oct 02 1999)

Toshiki Fujisawa <gphoto@fujisaw.gr.jp> from Development Dept. Camera
& Digital Imaging Division at Konica Corporation has released free 
sample source code for Q-M100/Q-M200 under the GPL.

See http://www.konica.co.jp/qscan/open-source-en.html for details.

Mr. Fujisawa also submitted a patch that makes the latest gPhoto 
release compile on FreeBSD 3.2.  Instructions for FreeBSD-3.2R:

   # cd xxx/packages-3.2-release/All
   # pkg_add gmake-3.77.tgz
   # pkg_add automake-1.4.tgz
   # pkg_add autoconf-2.13.tgz
   # pkg_add jpeg-6b
   # pkg_add glib-1.2.3
   # pkg_add gtk-1.2.3
   # pkg_add imlib-1.9.4
   # ln -s /dev/cuaa0 /dev/ttyS0
   # chmod 666 /dev/cuaa0


* Mustek MDC 800 driver (Sept 28, 1999)

Pedro Miguel Caria <pmiguel@maquina.com> and Jose Gabriel Marcelino
<gabriel@maquina.com> have written a gPhoto driver for the Mustek 
MDC 800 digital camera.  The base code was done in a few hours and 
gphoto integration was done in 2 days. You get to see the results 
right away.

* Canon A50 driver (Aug 29, 1999)

Despite Canon Inc's lack of co-operation on releasing specifications,
we're happy to announce that this release has a free Canon A50 driver.

Werner Almesberger <almesber@lrc.di.epfl.ch> reports that it's the
work of Wolfgang Reissnegger and himself.  Most of the details were
found by staring at Ray Newman's A5 traces. Also, the analysis of the
PS350 protocol by Anne Bezemer was quite helpful for understanding the
overall design.  (Ole W. Saastad <Ole.W.Saastad@chem.sintef.no> works
on gPhoto support for the Canon PowerShot A5, based on this library.)


* Kodak DC240 serial/USB driver (Aug 27, 1999)

Randy D. Scott <scottr@wwa.com> has implemented a Kodak DC240 
library based on open specifications from Eastman Kodak, Inc.

David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net> has got gPhoto and Linux 2.3
kernel support talking to his DC-240 over USB.   You'll need a new
driver in your Linux kernel. (2.3 development.  2.3.14 works, but
grab the latest from ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.3/ )


CAMERA SUPPORT

gPhoto 0.4.0 ships with 16 different camera libraries and supports 80+
different digital still camera models, from Agfa, Apple, Canon, Casio,
Chinon, Epson, Fuji, Hewlett Packard, Kodak, Konica, Minolta, Mustek, 
Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Philips, Polaroid, Ricoh, Sanyo, and Sony.
Check http://www.gphoto.org/cameras.php3 for a list of camera models.


VENDOR SUPPORT

Casio, Kodak, Minolta, Mustek, and Konica provide free, open camera
communication specifications.  The gPhoto developers encourage other
vendors to also release specs to their latest digital camera models.

It is always a great help for potential camera customers to ask
companies if they support gPhoto before you invest in a camera.

Many companies don't have time to look at the issues involved unless 
there is an financial incentive to do so.  The more open we can make
them, the better gPhoto can be and the more enjoyment you'll get from 
your digital camera.

The file ``CONTACTS'' in the distribution contains a list of companies
that you can write to asking for GPL drivers or camera specifications.


MAILINGLISTS

<gphoto-devel@gphoto.org>
  is the developer mailinglist, with bug reports, camera
  reports, etc.  If you would like to get involved in
  gPhoto development, then you may want to read it.
  Subscribe at http://lists.styx.net/mailman/listinfo/gphoto-devel/

<gphoto-kodak@gphoto.org>
  is a list for gPhoto Kodak library discussion. 
  Subscribe at http://lists.styx.net/mailman/listinfo/gphoto-kodak/

<gphoto@gphoto.org >
  is a general list where gPhoto user issues are discussed, 
  and announcements are posted by the gPhoto contributors.
  Subscribe at http://lists.styx.net/mailman/listinfo/gphoto/ 

Check http://www.gphoto.org/ for more details on the gPhoto effort.


Happy shooting,
The gPhoto team
