[Trisquel-devel] Correction about "" characters - GNUkCaH || gnuHaCk

Mon Aug 10 06:31:10 UTC 2009

Note: This message has been sent again because of some text formating errors with " " characters, so the original text remains... including errors ;)

Hi,

I'll try to be as clear as possible ;) with this FaQ.

Well
in first place thanks to Aitor, Germán and Ricardo to take into account
this project, Trisquel GNU/* is a vibrant multi-language free software community and hope it remains this way. Also it is a 100% free libre distro :) heh

Dear
hackers, certainly this is a set of growing ideas, so I'm still trying
to order them. Initially when I commented the GNUkCaH || gnuHaCk, named
projects like GAP and Etoile cause I read about them, each one with
different goals.

Is this an official desktop for Trisquel?
Not
now, this is just an idea. Rubén said we have the distro support to
experiment. So maybe when it is ready, might get an official state for
Trisquel and GNU.

Why this is neither GAP nor Etoile?
I see GAP as project which is trying to develop as much applications
 as possible written in GNUstep platform in order to complete a "Desktop Environment"
experience. Etoile is trying to provide an user environment with
project and document oriented in mind and more very nice concepts but
with this "open-source (MIT/BSD licensed)" so obviously it out of focus.

Why GNUstep?
GNUstep is one of the good options talking about software development platforms
with a great performance, OO, high engineering specification with a
fast development and deployment time, also features a dynamic and
simple Objective-C language, so after a long research process this(GS)
is the best option.

Are there clear objectives?
Some are clearer than others, but sure there are. Let's name a few:
* Low libs/apps dependency.- for ease of maintenance and distro packaging.
*
Completely FREE/libre GNU/fsf community project.- including copyrights,
licenses,  documentation, standards, philosophy. I call it "GNUprestige" initiative.
* Modern, functional and intelligent.-
Emacs style showed to be intelligent, GNOME/KDE showed to be productive
also GAP is trying to, Etoile is adding new concepts(modern).
So?
Well, I call it "Embedded I-Functionality" through emacs like* modes
integrated natively; featuring a very good level of production
experience through dedicated applications while it remains a modern
environment.

Is "Embedded I-Functionality" possible and how it would be?
Yes, It's been possible before, but this time with a modern approach.
It would be a single decentralized dynamic piece of software, executing what the user really really needs.
*
MINI-applications.- dedicated workers doing what they need to do and
just that, targeted to their domains, no extra features. Example: A
music reproducer only plays music, an image and document viewer only
shows them, and so with groupware, etc...

* MAJOR-applications.-
bigger instances of user environment, I mean to all those tasks
developed in scenarios where a considerable amount of functions are
provided. Example: Emacs, Terminal/Console, Web, User/File Space. This
can be seen as "Worlds" representing current activities in real
computing, so the user might say: "Now I'm browsing the web using a set
of web collaborative tools"
and all around you is web, no menus no app's, just a real web instance
and not a simple browser; "I'm passing commands" and you get a modern
console with a toolbox of commands, a deeper design about what is a
X-terminal, "I'm in emacs now" and you really are inside emacs. This
way the desktop turns into anything you want it to be. If you want it
to be a "point of sale" it will be; an "internet box" for netbooks, it
will be; a "secretary workstation" it will be. Everything should be
possible through mini-apps and its mini-jobs.
So we can say we have
a Web instance, a Terminal instance, a User/file instance, Emacs
instance, and the whole desktop is what the instance is, like different "views".

*
I-applications.- these may work as common collaborative functions, here
is where the intelligence come from, the "hard work", "the brain".
Simply provide extra functionality  robbed from original applications
to share with the desktop between mini-applications or
major-applications(if needed), like Robin Hood .  Example: Organize
playlist files, manage image galleries, document libraries, folders,
calendars, to-do lists, processes, workflows, etc. Just like a super
intelligent file manager and more.

Isn't it too complex?
I
don't think so, if you realize is a factoring procedure like in
algebra, taking a big redundant desktop, minimizing it. Thus, instead
of provide a set of full featured applications on the top of an even
more full featured environment; You just get a set of non featured
applications on the top of  mid featured environment(major apps),
living in harmony through intelligent applications(i-apps) serving cool
modern extra functionality.
MINI-applications(simple
tasks) will be inside MAJOR-applications(environments) and
I-applications will be where they are needed, MINI or MAJOR a sort of "agents".

What would be the relation with GAP?
Ricardo has
wrote recently, and I'm happy for that, but as people can see this is a
completely different thing. We will use some GAP bits and it might get
some bits from here, do not really know, perhaps a fusion... But anyway
Happy Hacking...

What is the problem with the "application" concept?
None at all. All this is about "applications" but performing only its essence, leaving app-features for another component.

What is the problem with GNOME or KDE?
There
are no real problems, just a fact of personal dissatisfaction when I
see official GNU projects that are far away from its standards and
freedom positions. Maybe I see these projects in a comfortable area
where innovation has been replaced by "simple mass industry products"
for the user.

Note:
This is for GNOME, KDE, GNUstep, etc.. It is important to take care of
what libraries or applications are classified as officials. Sometimes
it's hard look inside a deep sea of bits and check what is this or is
not. In GNUstep case is very clear, that is a reason why we are using
it, but still should be more precise.

Are we interesting in become GNUstep hackers?
Yes,
why not... since this is development platform, is important for all of
us. But following and make others follow GNU standards. Simply because
is an Official GNU project. I know GS has a statement that ask for copyright assignation to the FSF for large code.

Are non-GNU projects bad things?
Absolutely NO.. they are good things.. We are just
 trying to promote the "GNUprestige" and Free Software movement.
This is NOT about hate to other movements, they have their positions
and that's it. Equality, peace and love among the differences.  :) 
We're 'n You're frEE... as in frEEdom

And the look and feel?
It
is obvious that we are missing the "state of art" thing, We have not
dig inside GNUstep yet, but certainly much work have to be done.

What about the Window Manger for the project?
A
new concept must be introduced here as well, I've said in the -devel
list that we're not trying to clone NeXT environment, not porting
GNOME/KDE to GNUstep, but creating from the ground.
One point might be, an appIcon Manager + appAlien Manager + viewManager. I explain myself.
According
to the specification used by GNUstep, applications show an appIcon box
when they are being executed, which is not really attractive. So a
beautiful "state of art" appIcon Manager would be perfect. The alien
manager would work the same way but for external applications. The view
manager should provide a flexible "vista" for working instances or
applications, allowing the user to call what he wants to see in the
desired way, mixed, simple, etc.. This is even a more experimental
concept.

Traditional applications will exist?
Yes,
there are thousands of applications and we should provide an
app-launcher for alien applications and a better user experience.

Some Points
*
I tried to explain some technical and low-level concepts, also I will
write other answer with some more graphical and functionality behavior.
* If you guys have some ideas, they are welcome...
* Aitor you really got the point....
*
I do not have GNUstep skills(neither Aitor, I guess), so this is a
research stage.. we need to handle the platform first. And Germán
documentation is great, the offical GS doc too.

Thanks,

William
 H.
GNU – Resistencia Digital

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