I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

I'm glad to announce another release of the upcoming OpenLP 2.2, version 2.1.4 Release Candidate 1. This release comes with 31 known bug fixes, as well as a bunch of other fixes that don't have specific bug reports.

There's also been a renewed focus on Mac OS X, with bugs like the dock icon problem fixed, and the menu bar fix in the works.

Here are the bug reports we have fixed:

• #1419300: OpenLP freezes when double clicking an image in media manager
• #1424297: Renaming a theme causes a crash
• #1247661: Cannot restore OpenLP after minimising on OSX
• #1411433: Media disappears on upgrade
• #1413324: Going live on songs too quickly causes hang
• #1424330: OpenLP Loops Presentations on start up
• #1432418: delete PowerPoint presentation before removing from service
• #1438563: Saving theme with unicode letters in the name causes traceback
• #1441055: Webkitplayer (and video background) doesn't work on Windows and Mac
• #1081807: Inconsistent verse ranges
• #1194847: Clicking on a PowerPoint slide doesn't advance animations on that slide
• #1195694: Presentations error: RPC server is unavailable
• #1389149: Traceback when switching PPT presenter
• #1412216: ccli traceback when the lyrics aren't present
• #1423699: CCLI SongSelect Import - import more logs out
• #1423913: PowerPoint steals focus when a PowerPoint presentation goes live
• #1424555: When editing a single verse, the number is always 1
• #1424972: Powerpoint with unicode characters makes OpenLP crash
• #1425035: Wrong use of translation causes crash in opensong bible import
• #1431476: Exception when playing a mpg file with webkit
• #1431478: Size of media slider should not change
• #1433245: Error message when start playing a video with vlc
• #1437771: CCLISongSelect import saves multiple copies of same song
• #1439311: Print service does not always put a blank line between verses
• #1439671: Edit button on preview toolbar disappears when editing custom
• #1440571: Drag and drop powerpoint file to mediamanager fails to load file
• #1446491: OpenLP shows wrong thumbnail when new and old image has the same name
• #1056652: Service item selection bug in Service Manager
• #1254190: Can no longer add Bible verses
• #1315917: [Web stage] native android web browser causes text to compress affects Android app as well
• #1410774: OpenLP fails to start on first run
• #1414990: Menu - language list

A number of translations have been updated and nearing full coverage.

UPDATE: All the files have been uploaded, and are available on the Download page.

[ Image Credit: Balloon release by Jennie Rainsford ]

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Update: The Windows builds are now available on the Download page.

Another step closer to version 2.2, today we have released version 2.1.5, the second release candidate. This release comes with 7 known bugfixes  as well as a few of other fixes.

The PowerPoint integration has recieved a lot of attention and we hope some of the quirks has been fixed. Thanks go to the OpenLP community for quick feedback while testing the changes.

Here are the bug reports we have fixed:

• #1451237 Remote view: sending image or video live from search results causes traceback
• #1458056 Traceback when importing a Worship Assistant CSV
• #1458672 Import of settings file with non-existing keys causes traceback
• #1460235 Focus doesn't switch to Live when you click in "move to live" button
• #1395848 OSX Menu Bar
• #1449041 Main vebview doesn't mirror PowerPoint when using a single-screen setup
• #1449064 Transitions happens in the same slide

[ Image Credit: Stables by Larry Ewing ]

This new application replaces the existing Android Application. The two versions can be installed side-by-side on the same device.

This code is Alpha so has been tested and, in at least one church it is already being used live but there may still be issues with it.

The new version builds on the Android 5 material design theme and whilst will work on a phone, a tablet is the recommended device.

This new version works with OpenLP 2.0 and 2.1.5.

The following functions are supported:

• Select Address and Port of running OpenLP instance.
• Handle user authentication of display changes. - 2.1.5 only
• Support SSL if implemented on OpenLP - 2.1.5 only
• View all items in a service
• Change the slide of a live item
• Make an item in a service live
• Blank the display
• Issue an alert
• Support a graphical main view - 2.1.5 only

The new version can be found at the Google Play Store.

[ Image Credit: Android Lineup - Beige by Rob Bulmahn ]

We're very close to releasing OpenLP 2.2 now. We've made a few additional bug fixes and have decided to release another Release Candidate. If we don't find any major bugs in this version, the next release will be 2.2.

These are the bugs we fixed in this release:

• #1473632: crash on every file dialog
• #1420356: sending presentation live with libreoffice initially is minimized to taskbar
• #1463703: When diplaying a presentation from a loaded service the slidecontroller is blank
• #1465390: Traceback when going from blanked presentation to video
• #1201293: Unexpected Power Point dialogues triggers exception
• #1464421: Connection errors in SongSelect are not handled
• #1450596: Failure to verify SSL cert in SongSelect importer

I'd like to say a special thank you to Tomas G who has been fixing bugs and pushing this release, and to Jonathan S for doing a lot of work on PyInstaller and OpenLP to make OpenLP sail on Mac OS X.

A Windows build will be uploaded during the course of the week.

Translators, now's your chance to finish up the translations for OpenLP 2.2!

As with the previous major release of OpenLP, we will only be bundling translations which are 95% or more complete. If you want to see OpenLP in your language, take a look below and update the translation for your language on Transifex, no download necessary!

Sign up on Transifex and join the community!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

  a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

  a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

  a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

  a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

  a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

With my grandmother's passing recently, and reading the Bible to my kids at night, these verses have been coming up a lot recently. I think it is important for us to always be aware of the timeousness of what we're doing. Make the best use of your time here on earth, so that you can reap the rewards of your eathly work in Heaven.

Download Now!

[ Image Credit: Road Ends 300 Ft. f/4 by Atomic Taco ]

If you'd like to see OpenLP in your language, now's the time! We are about 2 weeks away from the release of 2.2, and now is your opportunity to translate OpenLP's interface into your own language.

In order for your langauge to be included you need to have completed the translation of OpenLP 2.2 (you'll need to be logged into Transifex to see this page) by midnight UTC (GMT) on Saturday the 10th of October 2015.

Because we believe strongly in quality over quantity at OpenLP, we will not be including any translations that are incomplete into the final build. This means that if you want your language to be part of the final release of version 2.2, you need to make sure it is 100% done by the end of Saturday the 10th of October. This deadline also gives you just over a week to complete any outstanding translations.

It's finally here! After almost three years in development, the next major version of OpenLP has arrived!

A lot of work has gone into making this new version more stable, less buggy and easier to use, resulting almost 300 bugfixes and improvements. This version also sees some changes under the hood, in terms of moving to Python 3 and adding unit testing to increase the quality of the codebase.

If you'd like to see OpenLP in your language, now's the time! We are about 2 weeks away from the release of 2.2, and now is your opportunity to translate OpenLP's interface into your own language.

In order for your langauge to be included you need to have completed the translation of OpenLP 2.2 (you'll need to be logged into Transifex to see this page) by midnight UTC (GMT) on Saturday the 10th of October 2015.

Because we believe strongly in quality over quantity at OpenLP, we will not be including any translations that are incomplete into the final build. This means that if you want your language to be part of the final release of version 2.2, you need to make sure it is 100% done by the end of Saturday the 10th of October. This deadline also gives you just over a week to complete any outstanding translations.

With much fanfare, we released OpenLP 2.2 last Sunday. It's been a roaring success so far, but sadly it has also been plagued by unforseen bugs. A number of users have had OpenLP just crash on startup, and some folks have been unable to play videos. In this blog post, I'll show you how to figure out which issue you're running into, and a workaround for it until we can get a fix out (hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks).

There have been two main problems which cause OpenLP 2.2 to crash on startup. Firstly, three languages were hit by translation errors, and secondly, OpenLP on Linux won't start up due to VLC being missing.

The issues with videos can be divided into two situations. Firstly, our initial build of OpenLP for Windows was unable to detect VLC, and secondly, some folks might have been using video players that are not supported on their platforms anymore.

Traceback(mostrecentcalllast):File"<string>",line44,in<module>File"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/__init__.py",line388,inmainFile"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/__init__.py",line141,inrunFile"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/ui/mainwindow.py",line526,in__init__File"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/ui/aboutform.py",line44,in__init__File"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/ui/aboutform.py",line50,in_setupFile"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/ui/aboutdialog.py",line82,insetup_uiFile"/Users/raoul/Projects/OpenLP/OpenLP-2.2/openlp/core/ui/aboutdialog.py",line264,inretranslate_uiTypeError:notallargumentsconvertedduringstringformatting

Traceback(mostrecentcalllast):File"/usr/bin/openlp",line44,in<module>main()File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/__init__.py",line384,inmainsys.exit(application.run(qt_args))File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/__init__.py",line142,inrunRegistry().execute('bootstrap_initialise')File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/common/registry.py",line137,inexecuteresult=function(*args,**kwargs)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/lib/pluginmanager.py",line60,inbootstrap_initialiseself.hook_media_manager()File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/lib/pluginmanager.py",line122,inhook_media_managerplugin.create_media_manager_item()File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/lib/plugin.py",line204,increate_media_manager_itemself.media_item=self.media_item_class(self.main_window.media_dock_manager.media_dock,self)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/plugins/media/lib/mediaitem.py",line56,in__init__super(MediaMediaItem,self).__init__(parent,plugin)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/lib/mediamanageritem.py",line82,in__init__self.setup_item()File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/plugins/media/lib/mediaitem.py",line86,insetup_itemself.media_controller.setup_display(self.display_controller.preview_display,False)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/ui/media/mediacontroller.py",line322,insetup_displayplayer.setup(display)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/ui/media/vlcplayer.py",line147,insetupdisplay.vlc_instance=vlc.Instance(command_line_options)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/ui/media/vendor/vlc.py",line1359,in__new__returnlibvlc_new(len(args),args)File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/ui/media/vendor/vlc.py",line3355,inlibvlc_newctypes.c_void_p,ctypes.c_int,ListPOINTER(ctypes.c_char_p))File"/usr/share/openlp/openlp/core/ui/media/vendor/vlc.py",line211,in_CfunctionraiseNameError('no function %r'%(name,))NameError:nofunction'libvlc_new'

Traceback(mostrecentcalllast):File"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\servicemanager.py",line1462,inon_make_liveFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\servicemanager.py",line1478,inmake_liveFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\slidecontroller.py",line808,inadd_service_manager_itemFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\slidecontroller.py",line896,in_process_itemFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\slidecontroller.py",line1360,inon_media_startFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\media\mediacontroller.py",line376,invideoFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\media\mediacontroller.py",line532,in_check_file_typeFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\media\mediacontroller.py",line345,inresizeFile"D:\OpenLP_Development\OpenLP_Code\2.2\openlp\core\ui\media\vlcplayer.py",line234,inresizeAttributeError:'MainDisplay'objecthasnoattribute'vlc_widget'

As with any piece of software, OpenLP is not bug-free. Sadly, in this particular case we didn't pick up some pretty major bugs until just after the release of 2.2.

In this release we have only fixed the most glaring bugs. These are the showstoppers that prevented people from actually using OpenLP. There will be more releases as time goes on to fix other, smaller, bugs.

Bugs fixed in this release:

• The German, Estonian and Chinese (Taiwan) translations caused OpenLP to crash on startup
• Error when VLC is not installed on Linux
• OpenLP on Windows unable to detect VLC
• ZionWorks import fails in OpenLP 2.2

You can grab this bugfix from the Downloads section on our site.

Download

[ Image Credit: Roadside Bicycle Repair by Erik (HASH) Hersman ]

Over the years people have asked us about financial contributions and donations to the project. OpenLP, like many other open source projects, is largely funded by open source project sites (SourceForge.net, etc), donated resources, or (in some cases) the developers themselves. Until recently, this has meant that donations have mostly been unnecessary.

After some upheaval in the open source community recently, we decided to start building our own server infrastructure around the project to reduce our reliance on third parties who can exercise control over our digital assets. This means that OpenLP is now in charge of funding our own servers, bandwidth, build tools and other things.

Now that we are funding a lot more ourselves, we've decided to accept donations from folks. You can either give us a once-off donation, or you can donate on a regular basis (automatically), or you can buy swag (t-shirts, mugs, caps, stickers and more). Take a look at our Donate page for more information on where and how to donate.

Check out some of the stuff you can order from our online store:

[ Image Credit: Money by GotCredit ]

Due to a packaging issue on one of our supported platforms (Debian, to be precise), we have had to radically shift forward the release date of OpenLP 2.4, as well as cut out a whole lot of features we had hoped to include.

The biggest feature of OpenLP 2.4 will be the move to Qt 5.x. Qt is the GUI library we use for OpenLP's interface, and up until now we've been using version 4.8 of Qt. Just like all software projects, Qt has been moving on (they recently released version 5.5), and we've unfortunately been lagging behind.

We had always intended to upgrade to Qt5 in OpenLP 2.4, but thanks to the aforementioned packaging problem, we have to release a version of OpenLP which uses Qt5 by the end of January. With this in mind we decided to cut the release cycle short and just release 2.4 with Qt5 and some bugfixes.

The good news in all of this is that we should be able to make OpenLP's multimedia capabilities more powerful thanks to the reworking of media in Qt5. This should also encourage developers to continue contributing to OpenLP, which means that we all win.

Here's our intended release cycle for OpenLP 2.4:

If we feel we need it, we may release a second beta on the 24th of January, but this depends on developer availability, and how many bugs we have found and/or fixed.

We're really happy to announce our first beta release of the upcoming OpenLP 2.4.

You might think this is really soon after the last release, and it is true. We are having to accelerate our release to move to PyQt5 due to a packaging problem on Debian, Ubuntu, Mint and other Linux distributions. As of today, OpenLP is no longer in the Debian repository because a package it relies on has been removed.

We're long overdue moving to Qt5 as it is, so this just means we're moving to Qt5 a little sooner than we had anticipated.

A number of features have been added, and some bugs fixed, in this release:

• Removed unnecessary ‘?’ help buttons, and fixed the remaining ones
• Double verses at end of song now show correctly on stageview
• Ctrl-F selects all text in the search field
• Verse order can now be either upper or lower case (e.g. "v1 v2 v3" or "V1 V2 V3")
• Songbooks now support multiple songbook entries
• Fixed various issues with song importers

While version 2.3.1, the first alpha, was release, we didn't blog about it. The following updates were released in 2.3.1:

• Upgrade to PyQt5 from PyQt4
• Add proper shortcuts for Mac OS X
• Don't hide the dock and menu bar on Mac OS X when using only a single screen
• Allow the display to drop below the main window when using only a single screen on Mac OS X
• VLC not available after upgrade to 2.2
• Improve the notificaions of deletion of themes when used by Plugins
• All the implementation of custom stage.css ouside core code
• Fix Alert with line break from remote so it does not fail from Remote Interface
• Amend Search as you type settings as configured to use wrong Settings Tab
• Unable to distinguish between songs with the same title in Remote Interface
• Allow Print service change font size by allowing configurable style sheets
• Fix images disappearing from images list
• Better Labeling on Menus and Labels.
• Add support for song import from VideoPsalm

We're getting closer and closer to a release. Today we're excited to bring you our release candidate of OpenLP 2.4. If there are no major issues with version 2.3.3, we will release version 2.4 in a week or two.

OpenLP 2.4 is a short release with the main goal being upgrading OpenLP to use Qt 5. Up until now, we've been using version 4 of the GUI toolkit called Qt ("cute"). The GUI toolkit is how we display our interface.

After an extremely short release cycle, we're proud to present OpenLP 2.4.

Some folks might be wondering why we're releasing a new version after such a short amount of time. Others might be looking at the new features, and wondering why there's almost nothing there. The reality is that we were forced to upgrade some of the libraries we use sooner than we had anticipated.

Some of the Linux distributions removed one of the components of the GUI library we are using (Qt), and in order to continue using that component we had to upgrade the GUI library. When the component was removed from those Linux distributions, OpenLP was also removed. So in order to make sure OpenLP is in the next version of Ubuntu, we had to move fast.

We are happy to announce that our official OpenLP Remote app for iOS is almost here, after about six months of planning, design and development. We are busy with the last few steps before we finally release the first version of the iOS app, but before we do that we need your help!

If you are an iPhone user you can help us by participating in some internal testing using the TestFlight app. This will allow you to install unreleased versions of iOS apps on your phone from the App Store. Once TestFlight is installed and your e-mail address has been activated against OpenLP, you will be able to download and install the OpenLP Remote.

Once the OpenLP Remote is installed, you will be able to test it out and give us feedback on how to improve the app. Please send all feedback to our support e-mail address.

If you are interested in becoming a beta tester please fill out this application form and we will add you to our list of beta testers, while we still have space. Further instructions will for the beta tester process will be available once you have completed the form.

Once we've gathered all the feedback and fixed up any bugs that have arisen, we will release the OpenLP Remote for iOS to everyone.

Thank you for the interest.

[ Image Credit: iPhone 6+ Curved Glass by Omar Jordan Fawahl ]

While we don't place a lot of emphasis on numbers here at OpenLP, it's always nice to see a milestone or two, just to give us an idea of how many people are using OpenLP, and how popular it is.

Just the other day, the number of fans on the OpenLP page on Facebook ticked over 3000.

Now, this doesn't compare to some of the commercial applications out there, nor does it give us a real indication of how many people are using OpenLP, but it's still helps us understand how much of an impact we're having on the body of Christ, which is what our goal is anyway.

If you are on Facebook, and you aren't a fan of our page yet, please pop along to the OpenLP page and click theLike button. And don't forget to share it among your friends. OpenLP has blessed a number of churches, and it's with your help that we can bless more!

[ Image credit: Facebook by Christopher ]

Despite the extremely fast cycle from version 2.2 to version 2.4, OpenLP 2.4 has been surprisingly bug-free. Apart from some known issues with video, we've had very few actual bug reports. But that doesn't mean there haven't been any bug reports, or any bugs to be fixed.

So, without much further ado, here's OpenLP 2.4.1, the first of the bugfix releases of OpenLP 2.4.

Since we released the Android app we've had dozens of folks asking if there is a version for iOS, and our answer has always been, "No, we don't have any developers who have iOS devices and can write iOS apps. Then, a few months ago we were approached by Daniel Borges Ferreira da Silva, who is an OpenLP user and develops iOS apps, who offered to develop an iOS remote just like our Android remote.

Daniel worked hard on planning the app, wrote out workflows, mocked up screens, designed logos, and eventually had an app to show for it all. After that he started a beta programme to make sure he hadn't created any devastating bugs.

After a very successful beta programme, I am proud to announce the public release of the OpenLP Remote for iOS. We've aimed for feature parity between the iOS and Android apps, so if you find a feature on one and not the other, please let us know so that we can fix that.

At the moment, the OpenLP Remote for iOS is not adapted for iPad, but this is currently in development.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Daniel for stepping up and volunteering to take on the task of developing this app. Daniel spent time and money designing and creating a smooth user experience. His passion, expertise and attention to detail shine through this fantastic app.

Download the app from the App Store

Screenshots

[ Image Credit: iPhone 6 by Olle Eriksson ]

As we continue to work towards a shorter release cycle, we have started releasing bug fixes and translation updates on a more frequent basis.

With this in mind, we'd like to release version 2.4.2 in about 3 weeks time. This version will have all the latest bug fixes, but we would also like to release updated translations. If you're a translator, now is your opportunity to get your translation up to date.

We'll be sending out updates via our developer mailing list, so make sure you sign up and keep your ear to the ground.

[ Image Credit: Atypical welcome by Quinn Dombrowski ]

We'd like to release another bug fix version of OpenLP next Sunday, the 26th of June. This should hopefully fix a few annoying bugs that were uncovered after the last round of bug fixes.

If you are a translator, now is your last chance to get your translation up to date. We are going to be pulling thetranslations from Transifex (you'll need to log in to see this link) on the morning of Thursday the 23rd. This means that your last day for translating is Wednesday the 22nd.

[ Image Credit: #construction by Bernardo Aldana ]