[Evolution] Evolution and GNOMEs

[Aaron Weber <aaron ximian com>]

Mr. Stoos:

 I'd be glad to help you with any questions you have. 

First off, Evolution does not specifically require Ximian GNOME; it 
does, however, require a somewhat complex number of libraries, and the 
easiest way to install it is to use the Red Carpet installer from Ximian 
GNOME.  Once Evolution reaches 1.0 status, it will be much easier to 
install.  You should also note that you don't actually have to be 
*running* GNOME to run Evolution-- if you have it installed, and choose 
a different desktop (KDE, CDE, or what have you), it will still run fine.

 GNOME does indeed stand for the GNU Network Object Model Environment, 
but the acronym is, quite frankly, not exactly useful in any effort to 
understand what GNOME actually does.  I usually tell people that it 
provides three basic levels of functionality, all of which work together 
to form a cohesive, single desktop. 

First is the development platform: buttons, sliders, widgets of all 
sorts, CORBA network interfaces, data structures, and so forth.  Then, 
there is the core user experience of the desktop: a desktop manager (now 
Nautilus, and formerly gmc), a window manager (usually Sawfish), the 
panel, the gnome-session, and the login manager (gdm).  On top of those 
are the applications themselves: Evolution, XChat, the file browsing 
functions of Nautilus or gmc, and so forth.  There's no clear line, 
really, between an application and the libraries or other binaries that 
underly it, and no clear line between "desktop" and "application," but
taken together, all the parts provide those three general areas of use.

Please do give Evolution a try and let me know what you think of it; I'd 
be glad to discuss functionality, development, and the future path of 
groupware on the Linux platform with you.   The current schedule of 
releases has the 11th preview release (v. 0.11) due out this May, and 
Evolution 1.0 due is on track for release this summer.

Yours,

Aaron Weber
Technical Writer
Ximian, Inc.