"Jesktop : The Java Desktop"
It is a phoenix application like FtpServer and I think it's best that it goes alongside FtpServer as an app within Cornerstone.
What is it? ===========
In brief - it's a desktop layer that is a phoenix hosted application. It opens a Swing Window (or screen one day in JDK 1.4). That window allows installation and launch of multiple Swing based applications. Those apps install from jars, bind themselves into an application from a manifest and are hot re-installable and de-installable (even whilst in use).
As a .sar file it's 190K (quite small), and itself is wholly dependant on Avalon/phoenix (no third party jars).
What's coming to Apache? ======================== 1) DesktopKernel (Service) DesktopKernelImpl (block)
The core service that manages and launches applications. It includes a mime registry (incomplete), and Image Repository, marshalls drag and drop between apps, has a Control Panel and Configlets, recognises various types of application (from the Jesktop ignorant to those that avail of Kernal services or are Decorators). It also facilitates hot changing of Look and Feel - this Decorator is implemented as an installable app. "Skin Look and Feel" is wrapped already and tested amongst others.
2) WindowManager (Service) WindozeWindowManager1 & 2 (blocks)
An abstraction that will allow different appearances of a desktop (Windows - in progress, Mac, etc).
3) Coded applications - ControlPanel & some Configlets for it, Explorer, JarUtility (by Rana), ImageViewer, TextViewer.
What's not coming =================
A number of OSS Swing applications have been ported to Jesktop. This essentially mean forking them and keeping them in accordance with their original license scheme. Also code that is not Apache Software licensed is not coming. This includes :
4) Interfaces and API for Jesktop that are in BSD license. This (authored by me) could have been Apache license, but I would not have been able to port GPL code to use be Jesktop compatible. This has a parallel with the SAX api for XML which is in GPL compatible MIT/W3C license. Apache (org) recognises this and is the main purveyor of Parsers for Java despite the core API not being Apache. See "more license thinking" below.
5) Ported applications that are not Apache license.
Take a look at http://www.jesktop.net for a run down of the applications. Most if these would stay there, until we could persuade their original authors to integrate differences concerning the optional interfaces and mandatory manifests.
"More license thinking" =====================
GPL allows *non* FSF approved licensed code to be imported if it comes with the operating system or the compiler (Win32 and javax.swing.* etc) - see http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL
GPL allows code to import proprietory libs/jars and distribute them with app, if a GPL exemption has been granted by the copyright holder. See http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WritingFSWithNFLibs If the relevant interfaces for Jesktop were licensed with this addendum (cloned from that from the link above)..
In addition, as a special exception, Apache Software Foundation
gives permission to link the code of these Jesktop interfaces
with the any library/application (or with modified versions of
that that library/application that use the same license as that
library/application), and distribute linked combinations including
the two. You must obey the GNU General Public License in all
respects for all of the code used other that the Jesktop interfaces.
... this would allow the whole of Jesktop to be Apache Software License, but the interface portions to be granted specific rights to import and be distributed with GPL software. Hmmm a controvercial proposition I guess.
Where's Jesktop headed (a) & what's planned (b) ? =================================================
(a) Maybe PDA, playstations, internet devices. (b) Remote applet/application interopration with Kernel (via RMI, SOAP etc). More Window Managers. Better desktop features. JavaWebStart compatibity.
What are we voting on? ======================
Please can the nay sayers ask questions if there are any, instead of just voting no reflexly... :-) I suggest this as I have more ideas for the license quandry, but didn't want to go overboard here text-wise.
i) Apache Software Licensed Jesktop code to come under the cornerstone/apps directory. BSD licensed interfaces to stay offsite (at www.jesktop.org). Other licensed code (apps) to stay at www.jesktop.net
OR
ii) All Jesktop services, blocks, and interfaces (currently Apache Software License and BSD licensed) code to cornerstone/apps directory with the clause for GPL compatibility. BSD license to morph to Apache Software License with said clause. Other licensed code (apps) to stay at www.jesktop.net
OR
iii) All Jesktop services, blocks, and interfaces (currently Apache Software License and BSD licensed) code to cornerstone/apps directory and be licensed as plain Apache Software License (no clause - thus "stuff" GPL compatability). Other licensed code to stay (apps) at www.jesktop.net
OR
iv) No migration. Jesktop is a diseased idea, that may have taken it's authors ages, but *!$%#......
Regards,
- Paul H
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