Actually PDF support is probably closer than you think. Acrobat Reader 6 and later install a PDFWriter print driver (under windows) so that you can print anything that will print to a windows printer to a PDF file (we actually rely on this for the software I work on).
Mac OSX seems to support PDF pretty well and Linux certainly does (I even seen instructions for setting up a CUPS printer on the network to generate PDF files).
I know everyone says debian has a terrible installation, but for anyone who has run linux for a little while, it really shouldn't be a problem. Probably not exactly what you were looking for but there are lots of commercial distros that have taken this route (xandros, libranet, etc).
Besides then you can use PGI and there is good documentation on starting a debian subproject here and as a debian package
Plus even if you don't want to use debian as a base all the installation code is open so you may just be able to learn something from it and they are still trying to rewrite the installation, so maybe you could help an existing project in the process! That's really the open source ideal isn't it?
the SANE project does have support for the older color quickcam (barely) but it may server as a starting point. I know that they have support for some USB scanners as well, but I'm not sure how different the protocols are for the cameras.
An alien interface with unknown conventions WILL prevent new users from using Linux
This is a phrase that I've heard way too often. The fact is that most of the world as yet to experience any desktop. So limiting functionality in an attempt to conform to some existing interface seems a waste of energy.
One of my Personal Favorite Things(tm) about using X as an interface is the customization and choice that I have. I have (and use) several different window managers and three desktop environments. Each of these has multiple themes, and each allows me to customize behaivour (to some extent). I would hate to see any of this freedom lost.
I'm hoping that both the KDE and GNOME projects find lots of success, and that they become more flexible as they evolve. I think that we are seeing this now and that it will continue, thanks to an open development process that allows people to add the little quirks that make a desktop environment more useful to them.
The one element that these projects should try hard to maintain is consistency in interface. Hopefully KDE and GNOME can even find some common points here. The only thing that will hold the free desktops back is if users have to learn different interfaces for each application they want to run.
My problem with this is that I like MY stuff, I like having MY bed, MY computer, and MY Playstation and N64 (wanted Zelda). Anyway I like having stuff.
I'm hoping to get a Rio soon but probably most of what I'll play on it will be MP3s that I ripped off CDs I own, what's wrong with having a copy of something I paid for in a format that won't skip while I'm jogging.
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Actually PDF support is probably closer than you think. Acrobat Reader 6 and later install a PDFWriter print driver (under windows) so that you can print anything that will print to a windows printer to a PDF file (we actually rely on this for the software I work on).
Mac OSX seems to support PDF pretty well and Linux certainly does (I even seen instructions for setting up a CUPS printer on the network to generate PDF files).
How much more universal do you need it to get?
I know everyone says debian has a terrible installation, but for anyone who has run linux for a little while, it really shouldn't be a problem. Probably not exactly what you were looking for but there are lots of commercial distros that have taken this route (xandros, libranet, etc).
Besides then you can use PGI and there is good documentation on starting a debian subproject here and as a debian package
Plus even if you don't want to use debian as a base all the installation code is open so you may just be able to learn something from it and they are still trying to rewrite the installation, so maybe you could help an existing project in the process! That's really the open source ideal isn't it?
the SANE project does have support for the older color quickcam (barely) but it may server as a starting point.
I know that they have support for some USB scanners as well, but I'm not sure how different the protocols are for the cameras.
An alien interface with unknown conventions WILL prevent new users from using Linux
This is a phrase that I've heard way too often. The fact is that most of the world as yet to experience any desktop. So limiting functionality in an attempt to conform to some existing interface seems a waste of energy.
One of my Personal Favorite Things(tm) about using X as an interface is the customization and choice that I have. I have (and use) several different window managers and three desktop environments. Each of these has multiple themes, and each allows me to customize behaivour (to some extent). I would hate to see any of this freedom lost.
I'm hoping that both the KDE and GNOME projects find lots of success, and that they become more flexible as they evolve. I think that we are seeing this now and that it will continue, thanks to an open development process that allows people to add the little quirks that make a desktop environment more useful to them.
The one element that these projects should try hard to maintain is consistency in interface. Hopefully KDE and GNOME can even find some common points here. The only thing that will hold the free desktops back is if users have to learn different interfaces for each application they want to run.
My problem with this is that I like MY stuff, I like having MY bed, MY computer, and MY Playstation and N64 (wanted Zelda). Anyway I like having stuff.
I'm hoping to get a Rio soon but probably most of what I'll play on it will be MP3s that I ripped off CDs I own, what's wrong with having a copy of something I paid for in a format that won't skip while I'm jogging.