Re: [gnome-love] Getting started

[Richard Henwood <rjhenwood yahoo co uk>]

--- On Sat, 1/8/09, Matthew J. Fisher <mfisher_ix maine rr com> wrote:

> From: Matthew J. Fisher <mfisher_ix maine rr com>
> Subject: [gnome-love] Getting started
> To: gnome-love gnome org
> Date: Saturday, 1 August, 2009, 1:21 PM
> Hello,
>
> I've been using the GNOME desktop in several different
> distros for the
> past few years, and have an interest in learning how to
> develop for the
> GNOME platform.
>
> I have a small project in mind, but need some advice on
> choice of
> programming language.  I know C, C++, and C# but the
> tutorials I've
> discovered so far seem to be primarily in C.  Is C
> still the best
> language with which to start learning GNOME development?
>
> The project would be a GUI alternative to the existing Lisp
> script for
> gNewSense "kernel freedom verification":
>
> http://wiki.gnewsense.org/Kernel/Kfv-script
>
> I'm not a free software purist, but the gNewSense mindset
> makes me grin
> -- mas papista que el papa.

Hi Matthew, 

This sounds like a nice project to get started with!

I also recently started developing a Gnome application: in my case I chose Python - although I didn't have 
any previous experience with it.

I was able to find lots of tutorials and examples, and I have able to rapidly get a prototype application 
going. I've begun porting one performance critical section of the code to C, and it is proving to require 
significant patience - as other posters have suggested.

If I may offer one suggestion: you should familiarise yourself with the ongoing debate concerning the use of 
C# for Free Software [1]. When you come to share your work with a wider audience (which I hope you have 
ambition to do!) this topic may be raised.

Best regards,
Richard


1. for example: http://lwn.net/Articles/341771/