GNOME 2.6: The Linux Desktop › events › linux2004 › programme › ... · under the hood: the...
Transcript of GNOME 2.6: The Linux Desktop › events › linux2004 › programme › ... · under the hood: the...
Mich ael Meeks (m ich ael@xim ian .com )
GNOME 2.6:
The Linux Desktop
“Stan d a t th e crossroads an d look ; ask for th e an cien t path s, ask w h ere th e good w ay is, an d
w alk in it , an d you w ill f in d rest for you r sou ls...” - Jerem iah 6:16
Overview:● Why Gnome ?
● What is it ?
– The stable plat form: 2.6
● What's coming soon ?
● Freedesktop
● OpenOffice.org
● The future.
Why Gnome ?● 'Free software on every desktop' (not 'Open')
● Predictable t ime based releases ...
● Independent Software Developers
– API/ ABI stability; a single platform to target.
– Meeting government a11y requirements
– Mult i- OS: GNU/ Linux, Solaris, HP/ UX, AIX
– Libraries free for commercial use
– Vendor support : Novell, Sun, HP, RedHat, IBM
Why Gnome ? (more)● The Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)
– clean, neat, usability- tested GUI
– reduced feature exposure
– Supportable – elegant simplicity pays● Language bindings
– C – makes binding easier; C+ + , Python, Ada, Mono, Perl, Java, Eif fel, Guile, Scheme, Pascal ...
● Friendly community: irc.gimp.org #gnome
● Accessibility – a tough problem
Gnome: what is it ?● The (stable) foundat ion of a bigger whole
– Infrastructure
● system / portability abstract ion (glib)● widget / applicat ion (gtk+ / libgnome*)● Virtual f iling system● CORBA ORB & component
infrastructure● accessibility (a11y) foundation
● Applicat ions: ...
Nautilus:
Panel:
Evolution ...
Epiphany:
Moz illa u n d er th e h ood :th e real m agic bu llet :cod e- reu se.
And more:● Totem /
gstreamer:
(mult imedia)● Games
● Accessories
● Office suite(s)
● Communicat ion
● Devel. tools
● And more ...
New in Gnome 2.6 ...
● Fas t● Access ib le● Beau t ifu l● Sp ecifics
● VFS● Nau t ilu s● Evolu t ion● Gn om e- Meet in g
Performance ...● Always improving ... “ f aster than a speeding Gnome
desk top”
● gconf – parsing / scattered f ile (pw r t . panel)
● pango – kerning / caching
● GtkTreeView – huge dataset / f ixed height
● naut ilus
– mime/ type: ex tension, then snif f
– more eff icient remote access
– spatial – less clut tered / complex UI
● The File selector:
– Fear the Lart :
● new combo:
● New toolbar widget, artwork, RTL support
GUI improvements
● Improved ergonomics & complet ion widget
● GAIM + Groupwise integrat ion
IM improvements ...
● Mono:● W32● OS/ X● meta- data● replicat ion● caching, searching etc.● Nautilus/ Mono● File sharing / peer2peer
iFolder ...
Accessibility ...● Effort driven by Sun (& Baum / U.
Toronto)
● Government compliance – Sect ion 508 (US)
● Why it is hard:Im m ediate :
Ap pRed raw !
text '1 ', rect , rect , lin e
Con tain er
En t ryLabel
Tit le: 'En t ry 1 ' Text : ' '
AT: Ass is t ive Tech n ology
s ta te, as sociat ion styp es , even ts
Accessibility: - the Demo
● helping to shrink our potent ial user- base:
(new typing break capplet):
● Architectural improvement
– Daemon – GPL modules, [centralised caching]
– network:/ / - network places storage, sftp:/ /
– Keyring: - secure password storage, single auth.
– Improved IPv6 support
Gnome- VFS
File Man ager
Daem on
Im age viewer
SMBCORBA
CORBA
● Secure● Pretty
Remote hand- holding ... (vino)
Evolution – in development● System addressbook / contacts / calendar
– integrat ion with the plat form / ABI stability
● Re- designed UI / ergonomics
● S/ MIME & built in spam filtering
● Novell GroupWise connector
● C# plugin bindings
● http:/ / codeblogs.x imian.com/ blogs/ evolut ion/
● GAIM (& panel) integrat ion
● Lots of bount ies to go ...
Beau t ifu l Grou p wise in tegrat ion :
Also, Su n iPlan etMS Exch an ge 2k
Gnome- Meeting● Chunky improvements & ongoing
excellence:
– NAT tunnelling
– call hold / t ransfer / follow
– IPv6
– h323: &
callto:
support
– Improved look: HIG
Wireless / tablet / Gnome●Im p roved th in clien t p er form an ce
OpenOffice.org pieces
● Overview● Com p on en ts
OpenOffice.org – it rocks.● 6+ million lines of Free software
● http:/ / ooo.x imian.com/ - call for hackers
● OpenOffice.org 1.1.0 – give it another try.
● Gnome integrat ion– Now
● Print ing, VFS, theme colors, icons, fonts, local evolut ion contacts
– Under development● File select ion, gtk+ theming, Groupwise /
ex tended evolut ion mail- merge, improved ergonomics etc.
Freedesktop.org bits ...
● D/ BUS / HAL● X/ Cairo
DBUS / HAL / Gnome ...● D/ BUS – a system (and session) busA● Simple IPC, great for
secure event not if icat ion● HAL – hardware
abstract ion layer:
device events.● Requires Linux 2.6.X● Hot- plug: just works● http:/ / hal.freedesktop.org
Xserver / Cairo ...● http:/ / xserver.freedesktop.org/ - the future of
X
– Damage extn – what drawable changed where?
– Composite ex tn – off- screen&controlled render
● Cairo – PDF 1.4 renderlike
– vector graphics library
– AA text , alpha etc.
– outputs ps, pdf, png,
X11 (XRender)
The future ...
● Dashboard (Foo)● Tim eline● Dep loym en ts
Dashboard ...● A contex t sensit ive
associat ion engine – ( prototype )
A timeline ...
• A rou gh gu id e to th e b ig p lan :
2003 2004
2.4 2 .6
XD 2Evo. 1 .4 OO.o
2 .0Mono 1 .0
2005
2006 ...
OO.o 1 .1
2.8 2 .10
Mono 1 .2
Mono 2 .0
Conclusions:● Gnome is
– Powerful, simple, supportable
– ISV friendly & backwards compatible
– The only accessible desktop
– Well integrated with other leading projects
● Supported by all the signif icant players
● Links:
– Hacker blogs: http:/ / planet.gnome.org/
– Bounties: http:/ / www.gnome.org/ bounties
– This talk: http:/ / www.gnome.org/ ~michael