Re: "Official" gnome window manager

[Marcus Butler <marcusb wspice com>]

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Ben 'The Con Man' Kahn wrote:

> 
> >  A desktop system needs it.  That is part of what a desktop system is.
> > Desktop systems are supposed to make computers easier to use.  New users
> > won't find it easier if one "Gnome" system they walk up to behaves one way
> > and another behaves and looks differently.
> 
> Marcus,
> 	Wait a minute.  Gnome seems to be a project to create a nice
> development system for Linux.  Provide a consistant way to code
> applications, and make a number of exported resources.  Gnome shouldn't
> require anything from a window manager.  Thus almost any window manager
> should be usable. 

 From the GNOME web site: "The GNOME project intends to build a complete,
user-friendly desktop based entirely on free software."  GNOME is more
than a "development system for Linux" (it is supposed to run on other
Unices, by the way, not just Linux.

> 	 New users are not going to "be walking up to" a Gnome
> environment.  This is not MS Windows.  You don't sit down and start
> working at any terminal you see...  You sit down, log in, load your
> environment and start working.  It isn't the job of the development system
> to demand one window manager over another.  It's the job of the user, or
> the distribution, or the organization.  

 I am not an idiot.  I know people haved to logon.  And some people *do*
walk up to workstations.  Take a look at the Athena system at MIT.  People
with an Athena account do not have to work on just one workstation.

> We can provide default scripts for showing everything off, but the
> point should be easy customization.  People like being able to customize
> things...  As I see it, people should be able to start using their new
> computer right away, but should be rewarded for learning more about it.
> (Oh!  That's how I change my bootup options!)
> 

 Actually, most new users do not like to have to deal with different
resize buttons, etc.  Most new users don't like that kind of change.

 Marcus