We decided nothing of the sorts. On the contrary we've gone great lengths in trying to make Emacs-keybindings usable for those who use them. Thanks to conflicting shortcuts in the HIG and the way the keypress events are handled by default in gtk+ it's not exactly nice.
Just see src/galeon-window.c(galeon_window_key_press_event) if you're morbidly curious.
The Galeon developers liked having MIME configuration options, proxy options, etc.
Again, no one liked having duplicate configuration, I don't know where you get that. You're confusing these preferences with things like gestures that were the real issue.
Granted, the mouse wheel setting is separate from GNOME-wide settings, but the behavior in gtk+ widgets is hardcoded, so you can't simply stick the setting in control-center and get everything working. We'll happily remove the wheel settings from the preferences dialog when it's possible.
while Epiphany, in order to 1) Be more simplified for the non-technical user and 2) Be more integrated with GNOME, chose to remove them from the browser and use the GNOME-wide settings.
Both are true for Galeon as well, although we have a slight disagreement how far to take the first point and that is where the split comes from.
Those three preferences were just specific examples of the overall difference of opinion between the two groups.
We do have a difference of opinion in some issues, but not with the examples you've given. Please, come up with more accurate examples.
The reasons GNOME went with Epi over Galeon are essentially the same as why Marco (lead developer) left Galeon and started Epiphany: the (other) Galeon developers wanted to duplicate a lot of things that were already present in GNOME. The short list of duplication in Galeon/GNOME is MIME, Proxy and Mouse settings.
Please research the subject a little more thoroughly before making these false claims. None of the above were ever considered to be rewritten in Galeon, and there is no interest in duplicating stuff that's already in GNOME, what would be the point? And what is the Mouse settings supposed to mean anyway?
The Galeon developers basically do not wish to follow the Gnome HIG. This is
certainly fine - and Galeon is a good browser - but I'd say it's pretty
reasonable that an application that is so central to a desktop should also
follow the common guidelines set up for the core apps.
This is simply not true. We are trying to follow the HIG as much as we can,
but when it comes to a choice between blindly following the HIG or a feature we
feel is essential, we'll probably always be choosing the feature.
It's Human Interface Guidelines, we are still allowed to think for
ourselves.
If I have to reconfigure ONE more window manager to do focus-follows-mouse-sloppily, I'll have to change my email address to chris@loonybin.org.
Damn! Here where I ended up they don't let us use email, so I had to sneak out to comment.:)
I know exactly how you feel. Before galeon reached its stable status I was frequently trying to find a usable browser. Now you might think that testing a browser is as simple as "./configure && make && make install", but oh no, that's just the beginning.
Before you can comfortably compare the new browser to the previous one, you have to
configure proxies (no, $http_proxy is not supported)
import bookmarks (hopefully browsers support XBEL in a few years or so)
configure home page
configure languages
configure fonts
turn javascript on/off
turn java on/off
...I think you get the picture.
Repeat for all browsers.
And don't get me started with MUA's. I like mutt a lot, but every now and then I feel like trying out one of those graphical MUA's just to see if I'm missing something with mutt[1]. Basic console-GUI differences aside, it's still a PITA to quickly try out a new MUA, well, basically because it's impossible to make it quick. I've already said my folders are on an IMAP servers, and I also have some local spools. Why on earth do I need to repeat it for every MUA out there?
I think the fundamental problem here is that configuration is application-based instead of being based on functionality. For example, my email address has a function, I read the mail sent to that address. It has next to nothing to do with the application I use to read the mail. Why do I have to enter that same address to every single application that needs to use my email address for whatever? (Of course there must be a way to override the default setting, but by default I shouldn't be bothered with such brainless reconfiguration!)
I know, this is all just words and as such not going to get me anywhere. Unfortunately, as it is the current situation works, barely, well enough, and I also have more urgent things to do. But maybe the next time I get frustrated enough by some new application I try so that I kick myself to do something.
----
1. So far I haven't seen anything worthwhile:)
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We decided nothing of the sorts. On the contrary we've gone great lengths in trying to make Emacs-keybindings usable for those who use them. Thanks to conflicting shortcuts in the HIG and the way the keypress events are handled by default in gtk+ it's not exactly nice.
) if you're morbidly curious.
Just see src/galeon-window.c(galeon_window_key_press_event
Again, no one liked having duplicate configuration, I don't know where you get that. You're confusing these preferences with things like gestures that were the real issue.
Granted, the mouse wheel setting is separate from GNOME-wide settings, but the behavior in gtk+ widgets is hardcoded, so you can't simply stick the setting in control-center and get everything working. We'll happily remove the wheel settings from the preferences dialog when it's possible.
Both are true for Galeon as well, although we have a slight disagreement how far to take the first point and that is where the split comes from. We do have a difference of opinion in some issues, but not with the examples you've given. Please, come up with more accurate examples.This is simply not true. We are trying to follow the HIG as much as we can, but when it comes to a choice between blindly following the HIG or a feature we feel is essential, we'll probably always be choosing the feature.
It's Human Interface Guidelines, we are still allowed to think for ourselves.
Damn! Here where I ended up they don't let us use email, so I had to sneak out to comment. :)
I know exactly how you feel. Before galeon reached its stable status I was frequently trying to find a usable browser. Now you might think that testing a browser is as simple as "./configure && make && make install", but oh no, that's just the beginning.
Before you can comfortably compare the new browser to the previous one, you have to
- configure proxies (no, $http_proxy is not supported)
- import bookmarks (hopefully browsers support XBEL in a few years or so)
- configure home page
- configure languages
- configure fonts
- turn javascript on/off
- turn java on/off
...I think you get the picture.
Repeat for all browsers.And don't get me started with MUA's. I like mutt a lot, but every now and then I feel like trying out one of those graphical MUA's just to see if I'm missing something with mutt[1]. Basic console-GUI differences aside, it's still a PITA to quickly try out a new MUA, well, basically because it's impossible to make it quick. I've already said my folders are on an IMAP servers, and I also have some local spools. Why on earth do I need to repeat it for every MUA out there?
I think the fundamental problem here is that configuration is application-based instead of being based on functionality. For example, my email address has a function, I read the mail sent to that address. It has next to nothing to do with the application I use to read the mail. Why do I have to enter that same address to every single application that needs to use my email address for whatever? (Of course there must be a way to override the default setting, but by default I shouldn't be bothered with such brainless reconfiguration!)
I know, this is all just words and as such not going to get me anywhere. Unfortunately, as it is the current situation works, barely, well enough, and I also have more urgent things to do. But maybe the next time I get frustrated enough by some new application I try so that I kick myself to do something.
---- :)
1. So far I haven't seen anything worthwhile