The parallel design of multiple GUIs is a good thing. Linux thrives on variety. True Open Source development requires it. <SOAPBOX> I use Debian, some of you use Caldera or Slackware and a LOT of people use Red Hat (there are others, but these are the ones I see most people talk about). All are based on the same code, but each are implemented a little different, each offer different features and each lack something offered elsewhere. This is a Good Thing. Just because RH may have top commercial distribution (just guessing here, don't flame me if I'm wrong) it does NOT mean that the way RH wants to implement something should be adapted by all the other distros. A fine example is packets. RH and Debian use two different methods, based on their own ideas. Then someone came around and hacked out a conversion utility so the packets can be shared. It's the Linux way. Likewise, look at how many shells *nix has. I like to work in ksh, but I know an equal number of fans of bash and csh. Variety gives choice. If some committee decides that (example) KDE is now the "standard" GUI, it doesn't matter how many people prefer Gnome, no software developer is going to write for it (anyone out there playing Quake for OS/2). In time, KDE will be the ONLY desktop environment any Linux user is running. This will put Linux in the same bag as Win and Mac. I understand the point being made about the importance of a consistent feel between applications. It's not only a valid point, I think it is an absolute necessity before Linux can truly break into the mainstream where anyone would use it. However, I do not think this should or even needs to result in a one-GUI environment. Instead, the consistent feel should exist between all APPLICATIONS RUNNING on the SAME GUI. I have done Win9x programming <ducking quickly> with both C++ and VB. My UIs look just like a Word or Excel or Corel UI because the code passes the burden of displaying the interface to the operating system through API calls. Instead of trying to promote one GUI over another, the focus should be to get all Linux GUI development teams to come up with a standard API. How each GUI uses that API will allow Gnome users to keep their Gnome and KDE users to keep their KDE. When you run WordWriter under Gnome, the API calls will make WordWriter look like all the other programs you are running on Gnome. If you boot up KDE, you run the same installation of WordWriter now looks like a native KDE program. You can have uniformity without sacrificing choice if you put the standards in the right place. The HTML / Browser model proves it. There are already a lot of peeps out there getting the idea that Red Hat = Linux = Red Hat because of marketing and journalism. It would be a sad day for people to think the true Linux is (for example) Red Hat running KDE. </SOAPBOX> #include <disclaimer.h> Lawrence Tilly ********************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the following text in the *body* (*not* the subject line) of the letter: unsubscribe gnhlug **********************************************************
