Is GNOME > you? (was Re: [linux-elitists] Re: GNOME > you)

[Jeff Waugh]

<quote who="Lance Simmons">

> I don't intend any direct abuse.  Every few months I try Gnome (and KDE)
> to see how they're doing, but always seem to end up returning to
> ratpoison.  Now that I've been using ratpoison for a long time, I can't
> seem to bear to give up _any_ pixels to a window manager.  Why shouldn't
> each program be allowed to use as much real estate as possible?
> 
> My main concern with Gnome right now is that some applications will be
> developed that _require_ the gnome desktop in order to run properly.  I
> run some Gnome-oriented applications right now (gnumeric and pan is pretty
> much it), but could there be some "killer app" down the road that forces
> me to move from ratpoison?  I sure hope not...

Okay, two sides to this...

  * If ratpoison (or ion, or whatever similar WM tickles your fancy)
    supported the NETWM/EWMH hints as published on freedesktop.org, you
    could very easily run one of these window managers with GNOME, even
    using the panel and stuff like that if you really wanted to. I don't
    know what the progress on this is, but a few people have said they
    wanted to do it because they "just... couldn't... give... up..." on
    their zany-cool window managers. :-)

  * GNOME applications should *not* require you to use the entire desktop.
    Same goes with KDE apps. None of us are interested in binding them so
    strongly (indeed, lots of people want to port these apps on Windows,
    like Gnumeric - coming soon). However, I can already see software coming
    that will have fairly deep integration with the desktop (such as
    dashboard), but I am certain that they will run without it, and be
    available to other software that implements their interfaces (ie. there
    are patches for all sorts of wacky programs to use the prototype
    dashboard interface, etc).

- Jeff

-- 
Come to gnome.conf.au 2004!   http://www.gnome.org/~jdub/2004/gnome.conf.au/
 
   "The aim of the release process is to finish software, not to develop
                         it..." - Havoc Pennington