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Date:      Tue, 2 Feb 1999 18:51:27 +0000 (GMT)
From:      Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com>
To:        allenc@verinet.com (Allen Campbell)
Cc:        des@flood.ping.uio.no, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Lets Endorse KDE
Message-ID:  <199902021851.LAA06588@usr05.primenet.com>
In-Reply-To: <36B68BA5.86D5DFDD@verinet.com> from "Allen Campbell" at Feb 1, 99 10:22:45 pm

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> Along with the clueless masses attracted by shiny things like GUI
> desktops, come a certain number of developers who find mpegs more
> interesting than mbufs.  This is exactly what is needed for multimedia
> progress.  When you think about it, an engaging desktop environment is a
> necessity to foster this sort of work.  A well integrated and polished
> desktop has done an inestimable amount of 'good' for the RedHat and
> Caldera crowd.

This is a serious point which must be reiterated.  Just as there
are applications users that don't want to have to screw around
with applications developement, likewise there are application
developers that don't want to have to screw around with OS
developement.

I think this is the middle ground that everyone is missing
seeing, and I think that a desktop is just the thing to start
the ball rolling.

The thing to keep the ball rolling is a "Visual G++", including an
interface documentation browser, but one part of the puzzle at a time.


> If you want a successful FreeBSD Desktop Contest, I would suggest that
> the incentive of rewarding the winner by adopting the result would be a
> good start at a second attempt.  KDE is highly theme-able and is easily
> tailored to be very functional and provide a unique result.  I envision
> the kdm login screen with Chuck decorating the scene in a muted red
> background appearing right off the RELEASE distribution CD.

That's the target, I think.

I actually have code for an xdm replacement, called xportmon, that
knows how to throw up logins on a lab full of X terminals from one
process (using call conversion and session contexts to do the right
thing with regard to not having been written with threads).  It
would be easily adoptable by anyone who wanted to do the work on
it to pixmaps instead of bitmaps.  The current code basically
puts up something that looks like a "NeXTStep" login, and has run
32 X terminals at much less load than 32 xdm's on an old Sun box.
It even does the cute little "beep" and "shake the login ``no''"
that the NeXT login does... 8-).


> Is there a genuine possibility that KDE could be adopted as default[1]
> desktop?

I would say "Time for a contest!"... 8-).  Be sure to include the
advocacy list in the announcement, Jordan...


					Terry Lambert
					terry@lambert.org
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.

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