Re: Open to discussion...

[Derek Simkowiak <dereks kd-dev com>]

> > And the documentation for any given WM
> > could be a text file, HTML, or even a custom help-file format intended
> > only for use with that WM.  
> 
> Like with every other software. 

	Not with every other software.  Only with non-Gnome software.  If
a user is using the Gnome desktop with Gnome applications, he will have a
consistent help-system user interface within all applications.

> Why is this a problem ?

	Because the end-user, whose only computing experience might be a
Mac or Win9x, will not know where to look for the WM documentation
(physically on the hard drive), won't know how to view it, and will be
confused when they use the Gnome help browser to search the index and
nothing comes up.

	Remember, Gnome is supposed to be intuitive and easy enough to use
for people who don't even know what a window manager is, let alone dealing
with an install, compile, READMEs, etc. of a window manager.

> Don't confuse multiple desks with pagers. Gnome very much needs wms to 
> provide multiple desks. The pager is only a GUI on top of this basic
> functionality.  

	Yes, I need someone to clarify that part explicitly, thank you.
Also, in some WMs there is a different between a "Desk" and a "Workspace",
which only further confuses the issue.  Work needs to be done here.

> > 	...that's about 90% of the code of AfterStep, WindowMaker, and
> > Enlightenment.  
> 
> Sounds like fvwm is the perfect wm for you, as it does all of the above
> with modules which you can choose not to start.

	Yes, most of the functionality in AfterStep is done with modules
and can be disabled, too--however, does fvwm or AfterStep have Gnome
documentation?  Does it default to not creating minimized icons on the
desktop, and having all of the other modules disabled under Gnome?  Does
it have a Gtk+ based configuration utility, and does it read the Gnome
config files to determine things like what applications should appear on
the program-lauching menu?

	I do believe that, once a "Gnome window manager spec" is created,
many of our favorite WMs will be able to (1) create a Gtk+ configuration
utility, (2) add support for whatever WM hints we deem necessary, (3)
convert their documentation to work in the Gnome help browser, and (4)
repackage themselves without all the feature-duplicating modules, but
those steps are large enough to warrant a separate distribution of the WM.
Anyone not using Gnome will probably not want those 4 things done, and
it's not fair to force people into using Gtk+ just to be "Gnome
compliant".

> Otherwise they don't get the "Designed for Gnome" logo :-) 

	Something like that... :)

> ..."require"..."enforce"...doesn't sound very nice to me. 

	It'll be nice when I can change my background in one, intuitive
place, and have it stay changed after I restart X.


--Derek