I agree that it is sometimes painful to choose which flavor of VNC tastes best to you, it helps to understand why it is that way. Each project was created with different goals. Some features have been requested and debated over for years. Many of the features that you are seeing in other flavors where either turned down or slow to be implemented in the other flavors. Instead of sitting around and arguing over it, some of the more talented developers struck out to make their own versions. As you can see, the goal of some versions is functionality and features while others keep a strict eye on cross platform compatibility and simplicity. I have full confidence that it will not be long before the perfect balance of both is integrated into a version and it will take the user community by storm. One version that I have my eye on is the new UltraVNC project. While I share your sentiments and frustrations when trying to match up my clients with the correct flavor of VNC for their needs, I am not very optimistic about the chances of implementation or even the outcome of a great unified version of VNC. It sounds great on paper, through.
Thanks, Steve Bostedor http://www.vncscan.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 5:03 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Herectics? Gentlemen Developers of real, tight and ultra (please note in alphabetical order): I do not know, whether its the right time now to pick a quarrell but as an observer of the three lists for a year or so (as it applies) and as a user of different flavours of vnc I would like to state a few observations which I believe to have made particularly during the last few months (and certainly they are not at all ingeniously new). I do not wish to touch at any sensitivies of you developers or reduce the diversity of directions open software has as one of its major advantages. Nor do I want to involve in sophisticated debate (which may, however, be required) about the advantage of development in one or the other direction. HOWEVER: Observation 1: An increading conversion process in the development of the tree flavours can be observed each borrowing from the other, which to me indicates increasing maturity of the underlying product. It can even be traced down during the last few months, that a fundamental feature frequently requested and heavily disputed in the lists (such as file transfer) now, from esvnc embedded in ultra now is announced to become shortly available in tight. Other features such as port definitions for the listening daemon as in real are available in tight and ultra. Port/or Display specification is said to become available in ultra as it is in tight (we all know the never ending repetition in the of how-to compute the display number from the complement ....... to set eg. port 80) - Not to mention visibility of the remote cursor. This conversion goes to the extend that, at least seemingly, comments/questions/requests are send to the "wrong" list in some cases Observation 2 While merging these features from one flavour into the other, features inclusion is not synchronized resulting in the situation, that one feature you appreciate is not (yet) included in an another flavour which might require both running two flavours at the same time and/or extensively testing compatibility among server/viewer flavours. Not to speak of inconsistent syntax (within and/or between) different flavours (see eg. port definitions with "::" or ":") Observation 3 In fact there appears to be substantial progress being made at the different deeveloper groups in different areas, VDAC in ultra, to only quote one of the most recent which to me appears as such, much the same as as most recent and apparrently not yet finally resolved NT authentication, while inclusion of other achievements in other flavours lags behind (see Observation 2) I am fully aware that even (or excatly?) in open software environments "competion for market share" fosters progress in features and quality. But one could equally argue that (last but not least for the benefit of the users) it might be an idea to join faculty and resources in different areas of competence rather than to cut after one another. Altogether (and provided it is true that vnc in its core and "traditional" features is mature in the positive sense) it is my impression, that such joining of competence may result in major leaps forward in the areas mentioned above but also including streaming video audio and other not currently being thought of. I do say so knowing (?) the current main areas of application, but also anticipating the large potential. I do say so in view of the sometimes heavily debated list of "necessary" features, which eventually are included in flavours where they were not intended to be. I am also fully aware of the overhead when spreading development accross the world but there may also be a trade-off worth considering in feature richness, consistency, usabilty, quality and many alikes. Blame me, pounce on me, fly at me if I incite a debate that has been closed prior to my arrival, if I missed the boat, if these are improprieties, unnecessarily kicking of a row. But finally - it is only a question Cheers, Dietmar ------------------------------------------------------------ Services include: Software Process Assessment according to ISO15504/SPICE, ISO/IEC 12207 and BOOTSTRAP by certified asseors of ISIS Consulting und Fraunhofer Gesellschaft/IESE ------------------------------------------------------------ __ ___ __ ___ ( ) / __) ( ) / __) || \__ \ || \__ \ (__) (___/ (__) (___/ ISISConsulting Information Systems Information Strategies Altkoenigstrasse 8 D-60323 Frankfurt Phone: +49 (0)69 9720 2256 Fax: +49 (0)69 9720 2257 Cell: +49 (0)172 690 8683 Web: www.isisconsulting.de _______________________________________________ VNC-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list _______________________________________________ VNC-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list
