Re: Brainstorm: Desktop

["K." <conradp cse unsw EDU AU>]

On Tue, 7 Apr 1998, Ben 'The Con Man' Kahn wrote:

> On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, K. wrote:
> 
> > The idea of supporting HTTP as a means of accessing configuration
> > information is interesting; ...
> 
> 	It would seem that FTP is a better choice.  User configurations
> can be password protected (more easily) and they can reside ANYWHERE in a
> user's directory structure.  HTTP is usually confined to a subdirectory
> contained within their directory.  
> 
> 	As for troubles with binary files...  Can't this be solved with
> MIME?  (Specify file type, etc.)  Or are you suggesting that a user links
> to Netscape on one machine and has no access on the other?  If so, I can
> think of several solutions.  
> 
> 	1) Use tools like rpm, locate, whereis, which to find the program
> in question on the local machine.  
> 	2)If it can't be found, run the program on the remote machine
> (using lbx if available) and export the display.  Why not? 

This is possible.

These ideas extend the traditional view of the desktop. Originally
(blindly emulating Win95/KDE) the desktop we are building is our interface
for using the computer we are sitting in front of.

By using a global configuration we are using the computer in front of us
to run our preferred desktop, and asking that computer and the network to
deliver the tools we want.

For example, if I sit down at a new box at a new job, I use "my" desktop
configuration (tuned to my needs not the capabilities of the current box).
If I select to run xanim and it is not installed, an rpm is located on the
net (from one of my preferred locations) and installed in my personal bin
directory.

This is not a new _concept_. It is simply a desktop-centric view of
"network computing" built around binary distribution. Sounds familiar,
it's just that no-one's really done it yet. We already have the
technology, if only we can tie the pieces together.

K.

--
Conrad Parker  conradp@cse.unsw.edu.au           
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