We have updated the Developer Library once more. Here is a list of the updates:

• List of path name exceptions now contains more directories where data storage is allowed. This section will continue to be updated in the future.
  
• Accessing protected X server interfaces is a new section about an upcoming Harmattan platform security feature. Use these instructions if you are developing a special application that needs to access protected X server interfaces.

Remember that the Developer Library is also available for downloading in HTML and as a QCH file, which you can integrate into your Qt SDK.

There has been numerous questions and some misunderstanding on Harmattan version numbering so we thought it would be the right time to share some light in to the topic. It should be interesting and good to know information for developers.

A typical version number is formatted as XX.YYYY.WW-#_PR_VVV where XX is the GSM Software Version Number (SVN), YYYY build year, WW build week, # release candidate serial number on that week, and VVV variant configuration code.

For Nokia N9 the SVN number 10 stands for Harmattan 1.0, 20 for Harmattan 1.1, 22 for Harmattan 1.1.1 (Arabic) and 30 for Harmattan 1.2. For Nokia N950 Developer Device the first SVN number 1 stands for Harmattan 1.0, number 2 stands for Harmattan 1.1 and 3 stands for Harmattan 1.2 beta.

A variant configuration within a release consists of same software code line but some application data, modules or applications them self may be in or out between variants. E.g., typical space consuming regional variable in devices is the pre-loaded maps data. The VVV variant codes are as following: 001 Europe, 003 China, 005 SEAP, 006 Arabic and 009 Europe-2 which is in fact almost identical to 001. Additionally to these listed variants, there are numerous country and operator specific variants with differences e.g., in selection of preloaded applications or operator specific needs.

The version number 3.2012.02-6_PR_003_RM680 can be read as ‘Harmattan PR 1.2 (beta) for Nokia N950 that was built week 2 of 2012, 6th release candidate during week 2, production image, Chinese variant for RM680 where RM680 is production code for Nokia N950’.

Released public software versions for both N950 and Nokia N9 are as following, in release order:

• Harmattan beta 1 for N950: 1.2011.22-6_PR_RM680 – Not supported and should not be used any more
• Harmattan beta 2 for N950: 1.2011.34-2_PR_RM680 – Equivalent to Harmattan 1.0 001 variant for Nokia N9
• Harmattan 1.0 for Nokia N9: 10.2011.34-1_PR_### – 001, 005, 009 and other variants, no 003 or 006 variants
• Harmattan 1.1 for N950: 2.2011.39-5_PR_###_RM680 – Equivalent with 001 Harmattan 1.1 variants for Nokia N9
• Harmattan 1.1 for Nokia N9: 20.2011.40-4_PR_### – 001, 003, 005, 009 and other variants
• Harmattan 1.1.1 for Nokia N9: 22.2011.44-2_PR_### – 006 and other Arabic regional variants, not available for 001, 003, 005, 009 and other equivalent variants
• Harmattan 1.2 beta for N950: 3.2012.##-#_PR_RM680 - Available soon, release # not disclosed yet.
• Harmattan 1.2 for Nokia N9: 30.2012.##-#_PR_### - Available later on all variants, release # not disclosed yet.

Edit: Typos fixed

We will be shortly releasing a developer edition of MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan 1.2 beta (feel free to crack a joke v 1.2 here) to developers with Nokia N950 Developer Device. The goal of this early access release is to enable developers to verify that their applications do not exhibit any regressions in the new platform version.

This release will be available as a one-click-flasher for Nokia N950 Developer Device. In other words, in order to participate in this beta you need to already have a Nokia N950 Developer Device. 

We have done our best to ensure full binary compatibility from Harmattan 1.0 and 1.1 (and 1.1.1 Arabic) to Harmattan 1.2, but we want to offer developers the opportunity to test and verify their apps on the real thing before actual global roll out of the consumer release. There will be also small changes between beta and final consumer release, mostly focusing on ensuring release robustness and performance.

There is at least one known change in the Harmattan 1.2 (and 1.1.1 Arabic) that is impacting developers: The system font change. See blog posts The default font will change -- to bigger and better (18th Dec 2011), Font change part 2: playing with the line height (21st dec 2011) and Font change part 3: Flexible UI layouts (5th Jan 2012) for more details.

More information on the release features and fixes, distribution and Nokia N9 support will be available later. The Nokia N950 Developer Device program was closed in the summer, and thus no new entrants are accepted.