GNOME 2.0 Desktop [Was: Minutes...]

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

<quote who="Daniel Veillard">

>   ACTION: Havoc to write a paragraph on what GNOME-2 release is expected to be

The release team has this as our overview:

  "The GNOME 2.0 Desktop release consists of packages up to and including
  the Desktop section in our modules list. [1] All of the other applications
  and components are provided by existing 1.x platform versions."

  [1] http://developer.gnome.org/dotplan/modules/

A similar thing needs to be written for the end user perspective, to include
an overview of major new features provided by the platform, and incremental
updates to the desktop and utilities.

>    It seems clear that 2.0.0 will not contain the port of the big applications
>    The release should be named accordingly to reflect this, like:
>        "Gnome 2.0 Developers Platform and Core Desktop"
>    It seems some clear message about what this 2.0.0 will provide, its 
>    improvements what it contains, is needed so that on can have a clear
>    message.

I discussed this with the marketing working group this morning; they were
also looking for a name to better describe the release.

The release team is currently favouring "GNOME 2.0 Desktop". It's simple,
and it works within the context of the platform: we have the Developer
Platform, the Desktop, Fifth Toe and GNOME Office.

What we're planning to release is not particularly developer oriented, so
there's no real need to call it a "Developer's Desktop" or "Early Access"
release.

I explained this to the marketing group by pointing out the differences
between the MS Windows and MS application delivery timetables, and their
similarity to this GNOME release. From Win98 to Win2000, there were
incremental updates to the user interface, but many significant changes to
the developer platform (we're ignoring OS issues here - GNOME is not a
complete operating system). Applications optimised for the new platform were
not released at the same time.

This means:

  - we can parallelize development far more efficiently with separate
    release schedules for the major components of GNOME (albeit having some
    issues with major platform overhauls and delays)

  - we need to focus on a number of compatibility issues in this release at
    the desktop/application level (things like ~/.gtkrc-2.0, and the changes
    required to provide some deal with that, so that applications at least
    look similar)

  - we need to communicate this positive change in release strategy to our
    users and audience

I'm off to a Christmas party now, but I have a status report to post later
this evening when I'm sufficiently inebriated. </martin>

- Jeff

-- 
  "If you want to start a debate on a subject, however, all that seems to   
     be necessary is to involve perennial target Richard Gooch." - LWN