itweek.co.uk — "The Portland Project has released a beta version of its programming interfaces for the Gnome and KDE Linux environments. This is designed to boost development of desktop Linux applications by creating common application programming interfaces (APIs) for developers to use."
Jul 4, 2006 View in Crawl 4
thewilsonJul 4, 2006
"We aren't talking about getting Gnome and KDE unified APIs on Windows or Mac, so how is it inaccurate? APIs are system calls. These aren't system calls to just any OS. They're specific to Linux."Because other there are other Operating Systems, which are distinct from Linux that use Gnome/KDE (*BSD anyone?). Maybe it is a bit pedantic to you, but the OP is still perfectly correct.
cmizJul 4, 2006
Although It's true that KDE and GNOME are not specific to GNU/Linux, saying "KDE and GNOME looking to share API's" probably wouldn't get as many clicks because more people are familiar with "Linux" and "KDE" or "GNOME"... Though not 100% as accurate as it could be, it probably makes a better title. Let's forget about the technicalities, I think this is a good thing because people that prefer KDE or GNOME won't have to worry about applications not working on their particular WM. It would be good to have them as somewhat closer cousins that merely offer different looks but the same base. IMHO, the more standardized open source operating systems get, the more chance they'll stand in the market. Then again, I'm kinda partial to XFCE, there's my $.02
shrewduserJul 5, 2006
windows refers to the entire system not just the kernel...consumers are used to it, and it should be the same with linux...
Closed AccountJul 5, 2006
Yay for unification, which will finally bring Linux to the mainstream and kick WIndows's ass.Oh wait, that's what we heard all through the early and mid-'90s about Unix.Anyone still holding his breath over that one?
yhanJul 5, 2006
I completely disagree with you here, having multiple available desktop environments is a strenght of linux, not a disadvantage. It is called natural selection, this doesn't mean that one of them will loose, it just means different desktop environments for different needs and usages. Desktop environments that don't meet the specific purpose of a relevant number of users will eventually be dropped. About the Portland API's: they don't have the intention of unifying desktop environments nor they're API's, it's just an abstraction layer API for doing common tasks related to integration of applications with the desktop environments. An application for example wants to place an icon in the menu and in the desktop. Since GNOME and KDE API's defer on that, you would just tell the Portland API's that you want to place the icons and you have the job done so no specific desktop environment programming, at least on that aspect. etc...
andersonmanlyJul 5, 2006
Yes, Windows is referred to as one complete system, but Linux should NOT be referred to in the same manner. Linux is about choice, and will remain that way. What Consumers should try to do is realize that there is a world out there beyond what Microsoft has shoved down their throats.
gmorganJul 5, 2006
Linux does it right. The OS theoretically refers to the kernel and a few of the most basic system tools (a la GNU tool chain). I'm afraid its Windows thats been getting it wrong. Before everybody goes 'but everybody uses Windows' , if everyone called Bush Captain Jack Sparrow would they be right.Windows is an extended system not just an OS. A linux distro is also an extended system.