GNOME Foundation Today

"see AMD make Intel sweat" ?

why does everyone think that amd is even on the same level as intel? I dont know a single person anywhere around me (college) that has an athlon. Hmmm...all talk, no play? But on the otherhand, i think that good OS's are cool but i have a strong belief in standards. They should make one whole single OS which is like Linux, but even easier to use like Windoes (for the weaker amongst us).

compaq....ahhhhh man....is that a crack in the foundation that i see

Without reading any of the previous posts, I will say this:

Why the hell did they pick GNOME? Fucking Christ it sucks. Should've gone with KDE. Oh well, I guess it tasted better from a publicity/business point from some angle that I don't care to fathom.

Oh well. Make it good, or at least better, you big business types you. Kiss kiss.

At least this could introduce some decent, real standards to Linux rather than a million splinterware groups. Your word for today is focus. Give me standards, or give me a ten-inch cactus up my rectum.

its called X or the X Window System...
NOT XWindows.
if you don't know what you're talking about then don't talk about it
Marc

Sometimes I wonder which is worse: MS zelots or Linux zelots. Look, its just not going to happen (Linux making any real dent in the windows market). I'll predict the only competition you'll ever see for MS is a rival, but similar, OS from a baby-bill (if microsoft gets the break up). I mean, the MAC for most things is better than the PC, yet its the PC that reigns supreme for almost everything..the MAC has zealots preaching to the masses just like linux does, but for the most part the market just dosent listen. What geeks never seem to understand is that a better operating system doesnt=the one that wins. Like it or not, the uneducated masses make that decision, not the small portion of the PC world that actually has the knowledge..and honestly thats how it should be. If the OS market had never listened to the average PC user they would never have felt the need to make ANY OS easier to use than say, DOS or UNIX...something only driven by command lines. Necessary evil folks.

i don't understand how people think that linux is in every way superior to windows. I am not a computer retard, but yet i have never successfully installed Linux on my computer, for one big reason: compatibility. I managed to get my logitech wheel mouse working in linux, but i couldn't set up video correctly. It's worthless to have an OS default to 320x200 when it doesn't recognize your vid card. Windows defaults to 640x480.

When i installed win2k it was probalby the easiest install i ahve ever done, expecially because it recognized all my devices immediately.

If a video driver or a game crashes, then boo hoo: linux can't even run that vid card or game.

if i created a server, it would be linux or BeOS. But for desktops, windows makes more sense. I wish the GNOME project luck, but unless they develop the driver database and stay up with current hardware like microsoft does,i won't use it (especially since microsoft realized that crashes were bad and removed them from the win2k OS, hehehe).

Putting Linux up against Windows is just plain stupid. A user-friendly interface won't change the fact that it takes about 20 steps to install a game on Linux, as opposed to popping a game CD in in Windows.

I can't see why more of you don't see this as a good thing. More competition for Windows means lower prices and the level of innovation rising. If a Linux distribution is easy to use and comes crammed with a whole slew of free software I don't see why it wouldn't give Windows a run for its money. If only they could port IE over I wouldn't look back (good luck that happenning).

Question for you Linux gurus:

Has anyone had any problems with the Diamond MX400 sound card and Mandrake7 linux? That is the only piece of hardware I have that isn't listed as supported on thier webpage.

Anyone?

"The hardware vendors did not respond for requests to comment on their GNOME plans. Dell Computer Corp. and Gateway Inc. also did not respond."

Heh. They're terrified of what Microsoft might (will?) do in retaliation.

The push for X and the use of glx to be the portal for my opengl gaming? Fuck no. I don't want my box to suck up resources to load X up, then the front end(gnome, kde, etc) and THEN something like q3a. Maybe i'm talking out of my arse, i haven't used X for over a year now.. someone correct me if i'm wrong!

What happened to the good old linux shell days: gut every process, fire up the quakeworld client --> pure speed baby!

If they follow through, they will give MS quite a push. With all of the money, and the fact that most servers and workstations in the country are either a product of IBM of Compaq, and a great deal of home-pcs are HP, they already have a loyal customer base. Plus, when they can sell a computer minus Windows for a much lower price, I bet many users will have a change of heart.

The only question is is, why not KDE? KDE seems more like a commercial desktop than GNOME. Also, any word on them writing components for GNOME?

Hmm, speaking of Linux and Gnome, maybe you guys could help me (seeing as some of you guys seem smart.

I can't get connect to my ISP in Linux. My modem dials, makes all the funky noise, then just sits there. My ISP uses the "Login:/Password:" prompts, so it gets what it's expecting, it just never completes the connection. I even added the empty "Expect/Send" pair at the beginning of the chat script, but it didn't do anything.

I checked the system log and it showed that I transmitted my login name, just never the password.

Any suggestions? Oh yeah, I use the netcfg tool, if that helps at all.

I know if I could get Photoshop (no gimp for me guys, sorry) and Truespace on linux, I would dual boot in an instant.

I think if Adobe and more of the graphics industry(namely 3d) start porting to Linux you will see many more people convert.

I know i would right away.

I'm no 'Alternative' OS god, but, I've tried 3 dists of linux(Mandrake, Redhat, Slackware) and had some problem or another. Either it felt 'bloated' or something went wrong(mostly corrupted files). So, I decided to install FreeBSD just to try it out. Well, I'd like to say that I'm impressed. The install was a little more involved than Slack, but, I got it done. Also, They have the whole OS's help online, and it just rules. Guides for just about everything. I was recompiling my kernel in just a few hours to activate my SBLive. Everything inside my computer has support and the OS runs great, plus, with my custom kernel, its fast as hell. I have X4(w/ KDE) running too, going to go try Helix (If FreeBSD is supported). Something about FreeBSD agrees with me that didnt with linux. I'm impressed. I do wish more programs supported BSD, though the BSD community always updates the 'ports' with the newest versions of any program. Linux seems to get all the fame, while i think FreeBSD is just as good.

I dunno, I just _cant_ get into linux. I mean I have Redhat and Mandrake and ive tried both. But i just cant get interested in it. I just wanna play some games man :). I did use 0S/2 for a while.
*shudder*
I finally caved in and got windows because there were no games for dos anymore.

since we're all on the topic of OpenSource and comparing GUIs, i thought i'd point out the OpenWindows Project to any that have not heard of it. http://www.owpcentral.com/

currently they're in "pre-alpha/planning" which probably means they have some kernel work done. they're basically making windows from scratch, building the GUI to look much like WinME, and using other projects like WinE, FreeDOS and ReactOS to get it started. it'll use FAT, and be 100% Win32 compatible. should be interesting stuff.

Once Linux gets some decent games, maybe I will switch.

Question for you Linux gurus:

Has anyone had any problems with the Diamond MX400 sound card and Mandrake7 linux? That is the only piece of hardware I have that isn't listed as supported on thier webpage.

my mom says i'm cool

What? Don't these vermin realize they must be crushed now?

Heh, soon enough, maybe. With Dubya coasting toward the White House, the right will soon be able to restaff the Justice Department with its corporate flunkies and settle this annoying little antitrust matter once and for all. Bill Neukom as Attorney General, perhaps?

Gnome.....
What about KDE?
Oh well, as long as microsoft get a run for their money (I doubt they will though)

Oh yeah, and just to clarify, the issues with KDE's source have been cleared up. People bitched at Troll so much that it rereleased the Qt toolkit under a license compatible with the Open Source Definition. As such, there is no longer a problem. I think even RMS is satisfied by its new license.

arrrr, that's X Window system. No 's'. :p

I don't get why so many people making Window Managers try to emulate Windows. If people want that interface so much then they can easily use the real thing! The fact is there are easily better and less bloated interfaces out there than those supplied by Gnome and KDE. WindowMaker comes to mind.

Linux is not (and shouldnt be) trying to compete with Microsoft. Because, realistically, it will never win.

Linux is an alternative to windows. For people who dont like windows. Its not trying to "out-windows" windows.

mirage.

ok that "out-windows" thing may not have made sense. It made sense for quake (example "tribes does not try to out-quake, quake. IT offers an alternative style of multiplayer FPS action)

the cool thing about linux is its all understandable, everything is configurable with text files and it makes sense. But theres so many things you miss in windows when using x. There no real consitent interface, you cant set mouse sentisity only acceleration in x as far s i can tell, the fonts look ugly esspecailly in netscape, etc

Helix Gnome is definitely slick. I'd like to see the Helix installer in DOS..:) Well I hope KDE isn't affected by this. I like KDE, but its file manager doesn't work well with xmms. Thats frustrating. Anyway, my only complaint with linux, is that its terribly frustrating to set your video card up. Maybe Big blue and Co. can help us out there.

I don't know though, With AMD and Intel, both processors were fairly popular.

With Linux and Microsoft, the majority of the population uses Windows and the majority of the population uses software for Windows..

so how can they even start something when Microsoft controls over like 99.9% of the popular software market? (i am referring to the average AOL using mSWORD solitare users here).

I want an os with no real start bar, maybe everything with right clicking, and some nice looking bars and fully customizable interface, but with windows support for games, and something even my mom could use. Kinda like litestep but with the basic things that windows has like even something as simple as just dragging to make a shortcut, organizing them, etc....

I've used redhat 6.0 and litestep, probably need to get newer versions and experiment with other os's/shells too. What other crap is there out there that wouldn't be hard for my mom, and would be more stable than win98?

I think the Linux community should just give up on competing with MS as far as a desktop interface. Two reasons:

1) Windows owns the market, and Linux will never be able to truly make any inroads because everybody "grew up" using Windows.

2) Desktops don't matter anymore. The real prestige is in the back-end information processing. Even MS realizes this (look at their .NET crap). Linux already has a leg-up on MS in the server area, but there is so much focus on the Desktop that I fear that it will stagnate and lose.

Stick to what you're good at. Windows is good at: WINDOWS!!!! HEY!!!! And Linux is good at serving.

They've tried this before with CDE. They kinda made a half attempt to do this with OpenStep. They tried to do this with vanilla X.

Good luck fellas. You don't have what it takes to beat big ass Bill.

I like KDE better than GNOME.

Linux needs.......

- A mind-numbingly easy and "pretty" installer - even easier
and more attractive than Mandrake's install... pretty
people smiling with a "next"... "next"... "finish"
type of install. (Of course with an advanced install option
in there as well if wanted.)
- A extremely friendly user interface that matches
Windows 98/2000's interface-- with a systray, a start menu
(arranged to where it makes sense and isn't cluttered),
a right-click "cut/paste/sort", trash can, etc. ...and
it needs to look very professional and slick.
- A user-friendly and innovative help system.
- Maybe a document (or a Linux movement) that sets
a standard for application user-friendliness. Sorta like
an RFC that suggests and recommends how to make Linux
applications user-friendly and very intuitive.
- An extremely easy way to change or tweak all your
video card settings while sitting inside of X-Windows.
- More hardware support.

...those are my opinions and 2 cents worth. I'm not saying
destroy what makes Linux awesome... I'm basically saying make it
more user-friendly for the masses.

this is a big article - big news i think