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Hackers on Linux's Exciting Desktop Future

Gentu writes "OSNews features two interviews with prominent open source developers: Robert Love started working at Ximian this week and he will be leading the 'effort to improve the Linux desktop experience via kernel development'. In this Q&A, he explains what he will be working on hardware integration, freedesktop.org's D-BUS & HAL, low latency optimizations, power management, X & 3D and a 'Linux answer to WinFS'. The second interview is with Red Hat's Owen Taylor. Owen speaks of GTK+ development and where he sees the project going in the Gnome 3 timeframe: freedesktop.org's new X server, Cairo support, GTK#, OpenGL & other widgets and more."

11 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. More Stolen SCO code by Sabalon · · Score: 5, Funny

    These advances must have been stolen from SCO...there is no way a bunch of random hackers could have thought them up an implemented themselves.

  2. My Favorite Device Status Message! by aheath · · Score: 5, Funny
    I really enjoyed the Robert Love Q&A because I learned about a new device status:

    "We need a simple, low overhead, fast communication channel from the kernel out to user-space, to communicate everything from device status ("your processor is overeating")..."

    I finally know why I am never satisfied with the performance of any computer that I have ever used. I used to think that operating systems and applications grew increasingly bloated in order to encourage me to buy a new computer. Now I know that computers perform poorly because the process or is overeating!

    1. Re:My Favorite Device Status Message! by cthugha · · Score: 2, Funny

      Your processor is only overeating because your constant carping about its performance is making it depressed, you insensitive clod.

  3. Re:This is excellent by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 5, Funny

    When I first used Linux and I ran X, my thought was "damn, this is slow."

    I thought the same thing. Then, I saved my pennies and got rid of my 486.

    --

    How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  4. Interview summary by An+Anonymous+Hero · · Score: 4, Funny
    1. OSNews: (100 words)?

    R. Love: HAL

    2. OSNews: (99 words +) BeOS?

    R. Love (diplomatic): Yes and no.

    3. OSNews: (600 words)?

    R. Love: No.

    4. OSNews: (20 words)?

    R. Love: HAL.

    5. OSNews: (19 words +) HAL?

    R. Love: Yes, HAL.

    6. OSNews: (600 words)?

    R. Love: Dunno what you're talking about.

    7. OSNews: (100 words)?

    R. Love: No.

  5. HAL by KoolDude · · Score: 3, Funny


    This means things like udev and HAL are a reality in 2.6.

    Hurry up HAL, you're already 2 years late for your space odyssey.

    --
    getSexySig(); /* returns sexy signature */
  6. Stay away from the X server by drix · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who on earth would want to use their new X server? It's full of bugs! (Ark ark ark).

    Couldn't resist. :)

    --

    I think there is a world market for maybe five personal web logs.
  7. Re:Answer to WinFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wait, I remember back in the DOS days, software used to install itself all in the same directory. We've come full effing circle!!!

  8. Hackers on Linux's Exciting Desktop Future by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Translation: We'll be stealing more stuff from OS X than Microsoft!

  9. Re:Wrong, with my apologies. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Another saddening example is Gimp 1.3, and the considerable amount of time that has been spent on nothing but interface code rather than actual features.

    Guess they should have picked a better toolkit then.

  10. Re:Wrong, with my apologies. by azzy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah.. maybe they would have been better off inventing a special toolkit all for themselves.

    *ducks and runs* Sorry! Couldn't resist!