[gdm-list] Request for feedback: Proposed enhancements to GDM greeter interface

[Robert Ancell <robert ancell canonical com>]

Hi all,

I am proposing to do the following work for GDM 2.29 on the greeter code:
1. Produce documentation on the interface between the greeter and the server
2. Move code / produce a greeter library to minimise the amount of code 
in the simple-greeter
3. Produce bindings to the new interface to allow flexible greeter 
development (e.g. Python/Javascript).

These changes will allow the following improvements:
- New greeters will be able to be developed without limitations - thus 
making GDM completely themeable
  - A greeter can be developed which is easy for artists to them (e.g. 
by embedding webkit and using using CSS for theming)
  - Greeters could be developed for varying hardware to make use of 
graphics performance (i.e. flashy 3d effects)
- Other applications will be able to access GDM information (e.g. 
application switchers)
- GDM will be usable by other desktops (KDE, XFCE)

Please provide some feedback!

For more details see the Ubuntu blueprint:
https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-lucid-gdm-custom-greeter-support

--Robert Ancell