Mozilla Support Tour 2015 - Sylhet

I have been contributing to Mozilla for two years. I specially contribute in SuMo, which is the short form of Mozilla Support. We help users of Mozilla products by solving their problems, writing & updating support articles and much more. There were some significant events organized by our SuMo Bangladesh Community. After the success of SuMo Community Meetup , we were planning for a Support Tour in 3 divisions of Bangladesh.

As a part of our tour, we selected Sylhet division first. It is the northeastern division of Bangladesh. Known well for Tea gardens and tourist spots. I was so much excited as it was my first tour outside my city with Mozilla.

Beautiful Sylhet

It was 8 October 2015. Our bus started from Dhaka City at 12am. We were 6 fellow Mozillians.

First Day

Reached Sylhet City at 6am. We stayed at Hotel Supreme. Our first event was in North East University Bangladesh, located in Telihaor. Event started at 10am. We started right after taking breakfast. We have not slept for the night.

Mahay Alam Khan (aka MAK bro) started the opening introduction session. He explained what is Mozilla, Who we are and what we do. He also clarified about open-source community and our point of contribution.


Then Ashickur Rahman Noor started his sessions about Mozilla Support. He briefly explained Mozilla Support Portal and various contribution ways.


After that I (Raiyad Raad) started to explain how to localize KB articles in Bangla language. I think my session went bad as I was feeling so dizzy for lack of sleeping. Partcipants started to localize articles in Bangla. Then we paused to take Jummah Prayer and lunch.



The lunch was really good. Then Shashoto Seeam started his session. He talked about contributing in Support Forum. He introduced everyone to all the products of Mozilla.


Then Safwan Rahman talked about contributing in Kitsune, the codebase of Support Forum. He was searching for new contributors who know Python.


In the end of the event, many of the participants successfully contributed to Mozilla Support. Almost all of them localized a KB articles fully in Bangla. We taught them how to use irc channels to communicate with us.

Second Day

The next day started with drizzle. Most of the heavy rainfalls of our country occurs in Sylhet. We started for Leading University.

View from the 8th floor of Leading University

Again Mahay Alam Khan started the opening session. He showed a video of the web we want and explained that frame by frame. He also clarified about why we need the web to be free and open.



Then Ashickur Rahman introduced everyone to the Support Dashboard. He explained the ways of contributing in SuMo. Then he started to teach the participants how to update KB articles.




Some of the articles are distributed among the participants. They started to update them. We were roaming around the room and helping them.


After the lunch, Shashoto Seeam started an ice-breaking session. Every participants were asked to introduce themselves. We, the volunteers also introduced ourselves. We talked about our journey to Mozilla-  how we got involved, what we do and had lots of funny conversations. We gave surprise gifts to five participants. They were contributing in SuMo before. They seemed pretty surprised.





Seeam talked more about the support forum and how to help users. On that time, Safwan Rahman was collecting information about people so that he can find more contributors to contribute in Kitsune.

After that I showed how to help twitter users having problem with Mozilla Products by Army of Awesome.




The daylight was beginning to deem out and so was our event. We distributed swags and snacks among the people. Shot couple of cool group photos. Leading University was awesome. We found many interesting contributors from there. LU Firefox Club is also very active. Heartiest thanks to Rayhan bro, Tushar bro and other Sylheti Mozillians for arranging this beautiful event.

The must have group photo

Third Day

After two days of continuous events, we chose this day to relax and roam around the beautiful spots of Sylhet. We woke up very early and started our journey to Bichanakandi, a tourist spot close to the Bangladesh-India border. We were amazed by the awesome natural beauty. Then we went to Ratargul Swamp Forest. It one of the few freshwater swamp forest of the earth. 

Bichanakandi, Sylhet

Bichanakandi, Sylhet

Bichanakandi, Sylhet

Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet

Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet

Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet

Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet

                                                         Our Event on Reps Portal
                                                            More Photos on Flickr:
                                                       Event Hashtag: #SuMoTourBD


 

Mozilla Bangladesh - SuMo Community Meetup 2015

SuMo Community of Mozilla Bangladesh has arranged a two day long meetup on 29 & 30 may. SuMo is the short form of Mozilla Support. SuMo contributors give support to users of different Mozilla products. There is an awesome community here in Bangladesh. I am also one of the contributor. I was lucky to get invited in this meetup. So, now I am sharing some of my experiences of these two days.

In SuMo, there are many articles to help users. We localize those articles in our language so that everyone in our country can easily understand them. There is also a support forum where we answer questions of users from all around the world. Last year (2014), we did some awesome jobs. We finished the Top 100 KB article localization. Then we localized all the support articles of all the products. It was a very difficult task. And we got huge success. We also localized all the articles of Firefox OS in Bangla. So, this meetup was mainly to celebrate our great success of the last year and plan for the upcoming days.

ঘুরে এলাম বান্দরবন (পর্ব - ১)

সেমিস্টার ব্রেক শুরু হলো। হাতে অল্প কিছুদিন সময়। আগে থেকেই কোথাও যাওয়ার প্ল্যান ছিলো। মাঝে থেকে এক বন্ধু খাগড়াছড়িতে পল্টি মারলো। বাকি সবাই মিলে চটজলদি প্ল্যান করে ফেললাম বান্দরবন যাওয়ার। আমাদের সাথে ছিলো এক চাইনিজ (চাকমা) বন্ধু হেনড্রিক্স। তার ভালো নাম শুভ চাক। সে আগেই চলে গেলো বান্দরবন। আমরা চারজন - আমি, সুফি (তাফসীর), মাঝি (প্রিতম) আর তন্ময় রওনা দিলাম ঢাকা থেকে। রাত ১০টার বাস। সবাই কলেজের বন্ধু।

USB Drive Size Reduced After Making it Bootable [SOLVED]

Yesterday I booted my 32GB pendrive to make Hacintosh. After making the pendrive bootable I've found that it's size has been reduced to 5.35GB from 32GB. The same problem occured when I made it bootable to install Ubuntu. Here's the solution for this problem. I forget everything and then I've to search the entire web. So I'm writng here.

How to update Firefox OS 2.0 to 3.0 (Nightly) with Windows

Last week I wrote about How to update Firefox OS 1.3 to 2.0 with Windows. Updating Firefox OS is much easier with Linux OS. If you're a linux user and feel comfortable with Linux then use it to update. This tutorial is for the Windows users.

I'm using Firefox OS Developer Preview device Flame. This process may not work with other Firefox OS devices. However, downloading base image of other developer preview phones from the manufacturers websites (eg. Geeksphone) & following this tutorial may work.

NOTE: If you brick your device I will not take any responsibility. Charge your device battery upto minimum 50% before updating. Disable screen lock before starting. Simply go to Settings > Screen Lock and tap to disable lock screen or passcode lock.

Please before proceed make sure that you've updated your device to the latest stable base image. Follow this tutorial HERE if your OS version is below 2.0. Go to Settings >> Device Information to check your current version.

1. Plug your device into your computer with a USB cable.


2. Enable USB Debugging:

To enable USB Debugging go to your phone's Settings > Device Information > More Information > Developer and then Tick "Enable USB Debugging".


3. Download Base Image:Choose a build to install (found on http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/b2g/nightly/). You'll want one of the following:

• Production builds (including locales)
  • Latest master builds (currently 3.0)
  • Latest v2.2 builds
  • Latest v2.1 builds
  • Latest v2.0 builds
• Engineering builds (with test apps and only pseudo-locales)
  • Latest master builds (currently 3.0)
  • Latest v2.2 builds
  • Latest v2.1 builds
  • Latest v2.0 builds

I've chosen the first one. Nightly v3.0
Go to the directory and download b2g-XX.XX.en-US.android-arm.tar.gz and gaia.zip both three files. Extract them in the same folder in your PC.

4. Download other tools:Download the shallow flash script and save it in the same directory as the above two files: follow the link, press the Raw button, then use your browser's save functionality (right click & select save page as...) to save the page directly as shallow_flash.sh.

Also download the shallow_flash.bat windows script and install Cygwin which provides a Linux-like command environment on Windows.

Make sure that all the tools - Shallow flash script, shallow flash.bat, cygwin & base image files are in the same folder.


5. Now double click the shallow.bat file. A command window will appear and ask your permission. Write "y" and hit Enter. ('y' for YES & 'n' for NO). Then the install will start. Your phone may restart couple of times during the process.
Have a cup of coffee. And then you'll find that you're device is updated with the latest nightly build.

OMG! I bricked my device:If you brick your device by doing the above methods, then relax. You can get back to your old OS version with recovery mode. Just scroll through this article (Sorry, I can't simplify that for you): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox_OS/Phone_guide/Flame/Updating_your_Flame
and start reading from "Fastboot Mode".

If you face any kind of problems during updating your device, please feel free to comment on this post. I'll try my best to solve them.

Differences between Firefox OS 1.3 and 2.0

Firefox OS is an open-source operating system for smartphones and tablets developed by Mozilla. It is one of the newest operating systems. I've recently updated my Firefox OS Device Flame to 2.0 version. It was shipped with Firefox OS 1.3. I've noticed lots of changes in the user interface & performance. Now I'm writing about them.

All the screenshots are captured in this Firefox OS Developer Preview Device - Flame

 

Lockscreen:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

I can notice a slight change in the lockscreen. The unlock & camera picture is changed in version 2.0. Clock font size has increased. Notification icon turned white from blue.


Homescreen:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Major changes in the homescreen can be seen after updating Firefox OS 1.3 to 2.0. Previously, homescreen contained all the apps which can be accessed by swiping the screen horizontally. It also had a tray for apps at the bottom. You could find Adaptive search if you swipe to left.

Apps are set vertically in the newer version. Search option is on the same screen. Apps are divided by two white lines. Many users will find it difficult to quickly swipe and open apps. Icons of preinstalled apps like Phone,Contacts,Messages,Gallery,Music etc are also changed. Icons are now bigger in size.


Notification Bar:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Notification bars are not changed that much. I can notice change of the fonts of date. Beside wi-fi there was a box-like icon which probably was the network icon. It is now changed into letter E (EDGE). If you use 3G the icon will be changed to '3G'.

In 1.3 version, pressing wi-fi icon opened the wi-fi settings and then turn the wi-fi on or off. But in 2.0 version it does open the settings window.


Phone:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Heavy changes in design can be noticed in Phone app. Old fonts are changed into more smooth fonts. Buttons are now oval shaped.


Messages:

Firefox OS v1.3

Very few changes on the messages app can be seen after updating to 2.0. Fonts are changed and there is a outgoing mail button instead of 'Send' button.

Firefox OS v2.0

However, after switching to capital letters the keyboard does not change at all. But the switching  works. It feels kind of awkward. This problem can be found in both versions of Firefox OS. Still there is not any copy-paste option in v2.0 like the version 1.3


Contacts:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Almost no changes in Contacts app.


Browser:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Browser of the new version contains the option to change search engines. Except this, everything is the same.


Camera:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

The Camera app of the version 2.0 is more enhanced. Options for HDR, Self-timer and grid lines are added. Camera buttons are also changed.


Calendar:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

The Calendar app of the newer version of Firefox OS has more attractive interface.



Marketplace:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Marketplace looks the same in both versions.


Music:

Music app seems almost the same except changes in fonts and some icons.

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Multitasking:

Firefox OS v1.3 | Firefox OS v2.0

Pressing and holding the home button will show opened applicatications. In version 1.3, you have to swipe left to right in order to explore opened apps. But in version 2.0, you have to swipe right to left in order to do that.You can now swipe the screen left or right to open other apps while you're using an app.


Incoming & Outgoing Calls:

Firefox OS v1.3

The incoming and outgoing call screens are more sleek in design in the new v2.0.

Firefox OS v2.0

Settings:

Firefox OS v1.3

Settings for Homescreen,Navigation,Find my device and operator services are added to Firefox OS v2.0

'Find my device' service, which is used to locate, remotely call or erase phone data are available on v2.0

Firefox OS v2.0

Performance:

Performance boost is highly noticeable after updating to v2.0. In v1.3, OS crashed and the phone restarted for several times. Apps like Facebook, Soundcloud, Youtube crashed after running for more than 7 or 10 minutes. In v2.0, these problems are reduced.

That's it for today's review & differences of Firefox OS v1.3 & 2.0. I will write again after I update my device to v3.0.

How to update Firefox OS 1.3 to 2.0 with Windows

I have Flame - a Firefox OS Developer Preview device. It was shipped with Firefox OS 1.3 version. After using it for few days I wanted to update my OS. I went to the Mozilla Developer Network (MDN)  Site. However, the processes they described there looked a little complex for me. So, now I am writing about the detailed process of updating the device.

I am using Windows 8.1 and my device is Flame. This may not work with other devices. Follow the processes step by step.

NOTE: If you brick your device I will not take any responsibility. Charge your device battery upto minimum 50% before updating. Disable screen lock before starting. Simply go to Settings > Screen Lock and tap to disable lock screen or passcode lock.

1. Plug your device into your computer with a USB cable.

2. If windows could not detect your device, you have to download and install the device driver.

Download windows driver from HERE: cds.w5v8t3u9.hwcdn.net/Alcatel_USB_Driver_Q_4.0.0_2013_11_11_noinstall.zip

After downloading extract the zip file. Go to the extracted folder and double click on DriverInstaller.exe executable. You may receive a warning at this point that the executable is from an unknown publisher. If so, select the 'Yes' button and the executable will be launched. Click on the install button to start installing.

বন্ধু কে?

" ক্লাসে সবসময় ভালো ছাত্রদের সাথে বসবা। তাদের বন্ধু বানাবা। তাইলে রেজাল্ট ভালো হবে। "

এ কথাটি বাবা-মা বা কোন মুরুব্বীর কাছে ছোটবেলায় শোনে নাই এমন মানুষ খুব কমই খুজে পাওয়া যাবে। ছোটবেলা থেকেই আমাদের মাথায় ঢুকিয়ে দেওয়া হয় যে বন্ধু ভালো হলে তুমিও ভালো হবে। খারাপ বন্ধু জুটলে জীবন বরবাদ, আর ভালো বন্ধু জুটলে সেইরাম উজ্জ্বল ভবিষ্যৎ।

স্কুলের ক্লাসে দু'টি ভাগ হয়ে যায়।
এক ভাগ হলো ক্লাসের ফার্স্ট বেঞ্চে  বসা ভালো স্টুডেন্ট।
এক ভাগ হলো লাস্টের বেঞ্চে বসা খারাপ স্টুডেন্ট।