diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b00ccfb25ffe..6f26f3edc120 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -159,10 +159,7 @@ FIND_PACKAGE(Proj)
 FIND_PACKAGE(GEOS)
 FIND_PACKAGE(GDAL)
 FIND_PACKAGE(Expat)
-
-IF (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALINDEX)
-  FIND_PACKAGE(Spatialindex REQUIRED)
-ENDIF(NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALINDEX)
+FIND_PACKAGE(Spatialindex REQUIRED)
 
 FIND_PACKAGE(Qwt REQUIRED)
 IF (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_QWTPOLAR)
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsnewvectorlayerdialog.cpp b/src/gui/qgsnewvectorlayerdialog.cpp
index ba91e5800cf6..a452495137fa 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsnewvectorlayerdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsnewvectorlayerdialog.cpp
@@ -286,7 +286,10 @@ QString QgsNewVectorLayerDialog::runAndCreateLayer( QWidget* parent, QString* pE
       if ( geometrytype != QGis::WKBUnknown )
       {
         QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem srs( crsId, QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem::InternalCrsId );
-        createEmptyDataSource( fileName, fileformat, enc, geometrytype, attributes, &srs );
+        if ( !createEmptyDataSource( fileName, fileformat, enc, geometrytype, attributes, &srs ) )
+        {
+          return QString();
+        }
       }
       else
       {
diff --git a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.cpp
index ff9fef3e5863..636e60d4ae7b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 #include "qgsgeorefplugin.h"
 
 #include <QFile>
-//#include <QDialog>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 
 //
@@ -101,9 +100,6 @@ void QgsGeorefPlugin::initGui()
   // Connect the action to the run
   connect( mActionRunGeoref, SIGNAL( triggered() ), this, SLOT( run() ) );
 
-  mActionAbout = new QAction( QIcon(), tr( "&About" ), this );
-  connect( mActionAbout, SIGNAL( triggered() ), this, SLOT( about() ) );
-
   setCurrentTheme( "" );
   // this is called when the icon theme is changed
   connect( mQGisIface, SIGNAL( currentThemeChanged( QString ) ), this, SLOT( setCurrentTheme( QString ) ) );
@@ -111,7 +107,6 @@ void QgsGeorefPlugin::initGui()
   // Add to the toolbar & menu
   mQGisIface->addRasterToolBarIcon( mActionRunGeoref );
   mQGisIface->addPluginToRasterMenu( tr( "&Georeferencer" ), mActionRunGeoref );
-  mQGisIface->addPluginToRasterMenu( tr( "&Georeferencer" ), mActionAbout );
 }
 
 // Slot called when the buffer menu item is triggered
@@ -127,12 +122,10 @@ void QgsGeorefPlugin::run()
 void QgsGeorefPlugin::unload()
 {
   // remove the GUI
-  mQGisIface->removePluginRasterMenu( tr( "&Georeferencer" ), mActionAbout );
   mQGisIface->removePluginRasterMenu( tr( "&Georeferencer" ), mActionRunGeoref );
   mQGisIface->removeRasterToolBarIcon( mActionRunGeoref );
 
   delete mActionRunGeoref;
-  delete mActionAbout;
 
   delete mPluginGui;
   mPluginGui = NULL;
@@ -142,7 +135,6 @@ void QgsGeorefPlugin::unload()
 void QgsGeorefPlugin::setCurrentTheme( QString )
 {
   mActionRunGeoref->setIcon( getThemeIcon( "/mGeorefRun.png" ) );
-  mActionAbout->setIcon( getThemeIcon( "/mActionAbout.png" ) );
 }
 
 QIcon QgsGeorefPlugin::getThemeIcon( const QString &theName )
@@ -161,31 +153,6 @@ QIcon QgsGeorefPlugin::getThemeIcon( const QString &theName )
   }
 }
 
-void QgsGeorefPlugin::about( )
-{
-  QString title = QString( "About Georeferencer" );
-  // sort by date of contribution
-  QString text = QString( "<center><b>Georeferencer GDAL</b></center>"
-                          "<center>%1</center>"
-                          "<p>Adding projection info to rasters using GDAL<br>"
-                          "<b>Developers:</b>"
-                          "<ol type=disc>"
-                          "<li>Jack R"
-                          "<li>Maxim Dubinin"
-                          "<li>Manuel Massing"
-                          "<li>Lars Luthman"
-                          "</ol>"
-                          "<p><b>Homepage:</b><br>"
-                          "<a href=\"http://gis-lab.info/qa/qgis-georef-new-eng.html\">http://gis-lab.info/qa/qgis-georef-new-eng.html</a>" ).arg( sPluginVersion );
-
-  // this is required for adding georef icon in to left side of dialog
-  // create dynamicaly because on Mac this dialog is modeless
-  QWidget *w = new QWidget;
-  w->setAttribute( Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose );
-  w->setWindowIcon( getThemeIcon( "/mGeorefRun.png" ) );
-  QMessageBox::about( w, title, text );
-}
-
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 //                  END OF MANDATORY PLUGIN METHODS
@@ -193,7 +160,6 @@ void QgsGeorefPlugin::about( )
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
-
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 //
diff --git a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.h b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.h
index 4cfe835d898d..f6fa71a656f2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.h
+++ b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugin.h
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ class QgsGeorefPlugin: public QObject, public QgisPlugin
     //! update the plugins theme when the app tells us its theme is changed
     void setCurrentTheme( QString theThemeName );
     QIcon getThemeIcon( const QString &theThemeName );
-    void about();
 
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     //
@@ -109,7 +108,6 @@ class QgsGeorefPlugin: public QObject, public QgisPlugin
     QgisInterface *mQGisIface;
     //!pointer to the qaction for this plugin
     QAction * mActionRunGeoref;
-    QAction *mActionAbout;
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     //
     // ADD YOUR OWN MEMBER DECLARATIONS AFTER THIS POINT.....
diff --git a/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.cpp
index 543e05f89465..d04dd84df8b7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.cpp
@@ -101,21 +101,17 @@ void RoadGraphPlugin::initGui()
   mQGisIface->addDockWidget( Qt::LeftDockWidgetArea, mQShortestPathDock );
 
   // Create the action for tool
-  mQSettingsAction  = new QAction( QIcon( ":/roadgraph/road.png" ), tr( "Road graph settings" ), this );
-  mInfoAction = new QAction( QIcon( ":/roadgraph/about.png" ), tr( "About" ), this );
+  mQSettingsAction  = new QAction( QIcon( ":/roadgraph/road.png" ), tr( "Settings" ), this );
 
   // Set the what's this text
   mQSettingsAction->setWhatsThis( tr( "Road graph plugin settings" ) );
-  mInfoAction->setWhatsThis( tr( "About Road graph plugin" ) );
 
   setGuiElementsToDefault();
 
   // Connect the action to slots
   connect( mQSettingsAction, SIGNAL( triggered() ), this, SLOT( property() ) );
-  connect( mInfoAction, SIGNAL( triggered() ), SLOT( about() ) );
 
   mQGisIface->addPluginToVectorMenu( tr( "Road graph" ), mQSettingsAction );
-  mQGisIface->addPluginToVectorMenu( tr( "Road graph" ), mInfoAction );
 
   connect( mQGisIface, SIGNAL( projectRead() ), this, SLOT( projectRead() ) );
   connect( mQGisIface, SIGNAL( newProjectCreated() ), this, SLOT( newProject() ) );
@@ -131,7 +127,6 @@ void RoadGraphPlugin::unload()
 {
   // remove the GUI
   mQGisIface->removePluginVectorMenu( tr( "Road graph" ), mQSettingsAction );
-  mQGisIface->removePluginVectorMenu( tr( "Road graph" ), mInfoAction );
 
   // disconnect
   disconnect( mQGisIface->mainWindow(), SIGNAL( projectRead() ), this, SLOT( projectRead() ) );
@@ -185,57 +180,6 @@ void RoadGraphPlugin::property()
   setGuiElementsToDefault();
 } //RoadGraphPlugin::property()
 
-void RoadGraphPlugin::about()
-{
-  QDialog dlg( mQGisIface->mainWindow() );
-  dlg.setWindowFlags( dlg.windowFlags() | Qt::MSWindowsFixedSizeDialogHint );
-  dlg.setWindowFlags( dlg.windowFlags() &~ Qt::WindowContextHelpButtonHint );
-  dlg.setWindowTitle( tr( "About RoadGraph" ) );
-  QVBoxLayout *lines = new QVBoxLayout( &dlg );
-  QLabel *title = new QLabel( "<b>RoadGraph plugin</b>" );
-  title->setAlignment( Qt::AlignHCenter | Qt::AlignVCenter );
-  QLabel *version = new QLabel( sPluginVersion );
-  version->setAlignment( Qt::AlignHCenter | Qt::AlignVCenter );
-  lines->addWidget( title );
-  lines->addWidget( version );
-  lines->addWidget( new QLabel( tr( "Find shortest path on road's graph" ) ) );
-  lines->addWidget( new QLabel( tr( "<b>Developers:</b>" ) ) );
-  lines->addWidget( new QLabel( "    Sergey Yakushev" ) );
-  lines->addWidget( new QLabel( tr( "<b>Homepage:</b>" ) ) );
-
-  QSettings settings;
-  QString localeFullName, localeShortName;
-  bool overrideLocale = settings.value( "locale/overrideFlag", QVariant( false ) ).toBool();
-  if ( !overrideLocale )
-  {
-    localeFullName = QLocale().system().name();
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    localeFullName = settings.value( "locale/userLocale", QVariant( "" ) ).toString();
-  }
-
-  localeShortName = localeFullName.left( 2 );
-  QLabel *link = new QLabel();
-  if ( localeShortName == "ru" || localeShortName == "uk" )
-  {
-    link->setText( "<a href=\"http://gis-lab.info/qa/road-graph.html\">http://gis-lab.info/qa/road-graph.html</a>" );
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    link->setText( "<a href=\"http://gis-lab.info/qa/road-graph-eng.html\">http://gis-lab.info/qa/road-graph-eng.html</a>" );
-  }
-
-  link->setOpenExternalLinks( true );
-  lines->addWidget( link );
-
-  QPushButton *btnClose = new QPushButton( tr( "Close" ) );
-  lines->addWidget( btnClose );
-  QObject::connect( btnClose, SIGNAL( clicked() ), &dlg, SLOT( close() ) );
-
-  dlg.exec();
-} //RoadGraphPlugin::about()
-
 void RoadGraphPlugin::projectRead()
 {
   mSettings->read( QgsProject::instance() );
diff --git a/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.h b/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.h
index 3d4d2dd8759d..9477f3d5476a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.h
+++ b/src/plugins/roadgraph/roadgraphplugin.h
@@ -95,8 +95,6 @@ class RoadGraphPlugin: public QObject, public QgisPlugin
     //! show the help document
     void help();
 
-    //! show about window
-    void about();
   private slots:
     /**
      * set show roads direction
@@ -130,10 +128,6 @@ class RoadGraphPlugin: public QObject, public QgisPlugin
     */
     QAction * mQSettingsAction;
 
-    /**
-     * pointer ot the about action
-     */
-    QAction * mInfoAction;
     /**
      * GUI for use shortest path finder
      */
diff --git a/src/providers/ogr/qgsogrprovider.cpp b/src/providers/ogr/qgsogrprovider.cpp
index 5aa5dcd1f833..3c0f99dfe499 100644
--- a/src/providers/ogr/qgsogrprovider.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/ogr/qgsogrprovider.cpp
@@ -1943,6 +1943,7 @@ QGISEXTERN bool createEmptyDataSource( const QString &uri,
   {
     if ( !uri.endsWith( ".shp", Qt::CaseInsensitive ) )
     {
+      QgsDebugMsg( QString( "uri %1 doesn't end with .shp" ).arg( uri ) );
       return false;
     }
 
@@ -1971,6 +1972,7 @@ QGISEXTERN bool createEmptyDataSource( const QString &uri,
   dataSource = OGR_Dr_CreateDataSource( driver, TO8F( uri ), NULL );
   if ( !dataSource )
   {
+    QgsMessageLog::logMessage( QObject::tr( "Creating the data source %1 failed: %2" ).arg( uri ).arg( QString::fromUtf8( CPLGetLastErrorMsg() ) ), QObject::tr( "OGR" ) );
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -2028,6 +2030,7 @@ QGISEXTERN bool createEmptyDataSource( const QString &uri,
   layer = OGR_DS_CreateLayer( dataSource, TO8F( QFileInfo( uri ).completeBaseName() ), reference, OGRvectortype, NULL );
   if ( !layer )
   {
+    QgsMessageLog::logMessage( QObject::tr( "Creation of OGR data source %1 failed: %2" ).arg( uri ).arg( QString::fromUtf8( CPLGetLastErrorMsg() ) ), QObject::tr( "OGR" ) );
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -2041,7 +2044,6 @@ QGISEXTERN bool createEmptyDataSource( const QString &uri,
     Q_ASSERT( codec );
   }
 
-
   for ( std::list<std::pair<QString, QString> >::const_iterator it = attributes.begin(); it != attributes.end(); ++it )
   {
     QStringList fields = it->second.split( ";" );