Slashdot Mirror
Simply GNUstep Delivers UNIX, Simply
Eugenia writes "A new, Linux-based operating system released recently, called Simply GNUstep and it is based on the GNUstep architecture, originally built by NeXT (OpenSTEP) and is now also used by MacOSX (Cocoa). The alpha version of the x86-based OS is available for download and boots off the 110 MB bootable CD. The cool thing about Simply GNUstep is its partial source compatibility with MacOSX programs (further compatibility is still worked on) and its clean infrastructure, as it only includes GnuSTEP graphical applications like WindowMaker, Mail.app etc. You can read an introduction article of the OS at OSNews."
Low system requirements. Not every machine has the half gig of ram required to run KDE without swapping.
based on the GNUstep architecture, originally built by NeXT (OpenSTEP) and is now also used by MacOSX (Cocoa).
The above is wrong. The original NeXT Computer OS was called NeXTSTEP (notice capitalisation--it's important in what follows). When NeXT Computer ditched hardware, it became "NeXT Software", and spun off it's OS (in the 3.x version) into a cross platform OS called OpenStep (4.x).
This OS was to run on Sun, Intel and NeXT boxes. The API was modified, and made public (the API, not implementation).
This API specification was called OPENSTEP (capitalisation differs from the NeXT Software OS name).
GNUStep is therefore based on the OPENSTEP specification. No other permutation of name and inheritance is correct.
Gnome and KDE are great if user friendly==windows98 look and feel, and if you have a fast machine with a ton of ram. To give a single example of the userfriendliness, your "main menu" in KDE or Gnome require you to move your mouse over the K or the foot, respectively. GNUstep lets you click anywhere on the background image. Additionally, in GNUstep icons are usually spaced out in a line along one screen edge so you can't possible overshoot with your mouse. Seems trivial, but it lets me work faster.
Also, GNUstep will run on some pretty old hardware. I have changed the setup lately, but I used to have KDE2 on my 900mhz duron w/ 512 MB and WindowMaker on my PII 100mhz w/ 32 MB and if you didn't actually know, you'd think the PII was faster just because the environment was so lightweight.
The state is the great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everybody else. ~F. Bastiat
I went to the site and the ISO they have for download doesnt exist! stage1.iso.zip isnt there!
:(
If you're not a Liberal in your 20's, then you have no heart.If you're still a Liberal in your 30's you have no brain.
I downloaded the ISO and tried to boot into it. Immediately the kernel fb support gave an "unsupported display mode" error. I checked the available modes and there was nothing but text modes available. I have a Matrox G400, which is very well supported by the kernel framebuffer drivers. In fact I use the fb console at 1024x768 on my real linux installation without problems.
The startup looked interesting, at any rate. It failed to detect my NIC (a pretty standard DEC Tulip card) and gave a few other errors I can't remember. Then it tried to run X, but since it was configured to use the framebuffer driver, which wasn't working, it choked. Needless to say if they had at least allowed the option of using the XFree86 accelerated drivers, it would have been fine, but they don't. So then the system shut itself down. This worked ok, except their kernel is compiled without APM support, so it didn't actually turn itself off.
Oh well. I'll try it again later, seems like a decent idea really.
"(Man) tries to live his own life as if he were telling a story. But you have to choose: live or tell." --Sartre
Erm... not to post the obvious... but have you ever tried Debian? It's harder to install the first time, but you get /soooo/ much control over what gets installed that if you get a bad install, you're really the one to blame ;-)
;-)
Of course, you will probably want to compile your own kernel, since the Debian kernels usually suck. But hey, that's what the LDP's Kernel HOWTO is for, right?
Was lucky enought to grabe this minutes before it was posted.
;-)
Bootup is EXACTLY like RedHat/Mandrake.... guess they didn't implement that part yet.
After booting it starts up X in vesa mode and up pops the GUI... It looks...well..exactly like WindowMaker... I'm guessing cause thats what theyre using.
As far as apps go it's minimal...you got a terminal, email, and stuff...nothing out of the ordinary.
They do have a nice IDE Development though.
I'll check it out next release probably.... it seemed pretty fast. Worth checking out.... just make sure you burn this on an CD-RW....
Chow!
Eddy.WriteLinux.Com
This is why I use Slackware. :D
... I think I forgot my original point.
Granted, the distro tree is a lot more desktop-oriented than it deserves to be, seeing as it makes such a decent server distribution. Just pick and choose your packages carefully and you can make it anything you want. (Hey, it's even got a sane "package" implementation.) It takes well to having bits and pieces added onto it (although doing so does tend to break down your ability to manage it as a "distribution" per se).
At any rate, it's a simple, highly-customizable, all-purpose distribution, and it doesn't boot to a GUI after install. I use it for everything from a 486 with 8 megs of RAM to serve a mailing list, to a P3 with 512 megs as a pseudo-desktop network dealie. What more could you ask?
Look over there!
Is functionality like copying from one graphical app and pasting to another determined by the graphical environment (GNOME, KDE) or the window manager (Enlightenment, Sawfish)?
Use your middle mouse button. It works across all X apps.
Gnome and KDE have tried to emulate the Windows Clipboard however. If you use those functions then you will only be able to copy/paste KDE to KDE and Gnome to Gnome.
Office is a Carbon application, which means that it doesn't use the Cocoa APIs that GNUstep is trying to replicate. So it will never run Office or Photoshop or anything like that, but it may someday run Omniweb.
Tony
Mac OS X still has fat binaries, actually. You should be able to build binaries which will run on Mac OS X or Darwin (PPC) and Darwin (Intel).
Obviously the Darwin/Intel contingent is pretty small, so I haven't seen this in practice.
On my Mac OS X 10.1.2 box:
% which lipo
/usr/bin/lipo
GNUStep has the framework for fat binaries in place. An application is actually a folder with an executable, TIFFs, and property lists. Running an application is done by running a shell script that searches common application locations, checks what processor and OS you're using, and runs the appropriate binary. The biggest shortcoming is GCC, which can only compile for 1 architecture at a time.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
GNUstep is the open source version of the NEXTSTEP operating system... something, that while it may not have taken off and done as well as it should have, did contribute to computing today. Really a revolutionary idea. Back in a time when start buttons werent the fad, and nobody kept an icon of a desktop on their desktop, there were some great ideas, and freedom to express them. Sounds as though these guys want forward progress through unification and a few basic ideas... something that linux is not known for, it tends to make progress ameboidotically (ok, I made that word up, but you get the idea). Unfortunantly GNUstep hasnt recieved all the development backing from the community that kde/gnome have... which isnt such a bad thing... wm has stayed relatively simple and straight to the point (along with blackbox, which isnt based on GNUstep, but has a lot of the NS feel qualities to it)... something that I think is lost in kde and gnome.
Apple has made modifications to gcc to support "Objective C++", which allows Objective C code to use C++ syntax and classes. Hopefully these changes will eventually be merged into the main gcc sources.
How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
That just isn't true. Obj-C is not popular or widespread, but Apple continues to develop the language. Take a look at the release notes from Project Builder:
Since I do this quite a bit, I'd have to say Obj-C and C++ play quite nicely together.I've got to run to work (I'm late!), but if one of you could please put a post on the slashdot article explaining the problem I would be very
/., your project has
l
thankful!
It seems I broke a rule at sourceforge which limits file sizes to 100MB
If someone could offer a mirror site I would be very thankful for that as well!
Thanks! Chad
Here's what sourceforge had to say
--------------
Greetings,
My name is ********; I am the Quality of Service Manager for
SourceForge.net. This message is directed to you since you are
designated as a project administrator for the Simply GNUstep project on
SourceForge.net.
First, we would like to take a moment to congratulate you on your recent
press exposure on Slashdot.org -- we love to see Open Source projects
succeed, and press exposure of this nature is always of great benefit.
Since the announcement of your project efforts on
received roughly 2241 downloads of the ISO image provided through your
download page at: http://simplygnustep.sourceforge.net/Download.htm
It has come to our attention that you are making use of SourceForge.net
project web services as a mechanism to release file materials in excess
of 100MB in size. Each project hosted on SourceForge.net is provided
with project web services as to ensure that they may adequately provide
an online description and information regarding their project.
... etc
Sourceforge has a policy of not allowing DLs of files over 100MB, I broke that limit with my 110MB ISO image, so they took read access form the file to everybody but me.
If someone would like to offer a mirror I would appreciate it very much!
Chad Hardin
Apple has made modifications to gcc to support "Objective C++", which allows Objective C code to use C++ syntax and classes. Hopefully these changes will eventually be merged into the main gcc sources.
Take a look at that proposal by Ziemowit Laski ...
Would you think it was silly if you put lots of work into modifying Darwin for internal use, and then realized that you were legally obligated to publish your changes? Because, according to the link you provide, that's why the FSF doesn't call Darwin free.