Re:What kind of students were they?
on
Darl Goes to Harvard
·
· Score: 2, Informative
They're obviously behind this for two reasons:..
2. Microsoft has softened their public FUD about linux. They're trying to let someone else play bad cop because they know when they criticize linux unfairly it makes others jump to the defense of linux AND blame Microsoft- when someone else does it for them, the first still happens but the second does not.
While it is true that MS have stopped piping on their anti-Linux horn quite so much since SCO have been up to their mischief, it could of course be because they recognised that SCO were doing a better job than they were, and of course that the backlash would not be aimed at Redmond.
That is, MS didn't necessarily pay for SCO's fud, they just recognised a good wave to ride when it came by.
Naturally I don't believe that though, after all they did pay SCO millions of dollars for a "license". I think they saw an opportunity and took it.
So? Most things have dependencies and if you want to use some other code that has a dependency you either install that dependency or write a wrapper for it.
KHTML depends on Qt, mostly QString, one class. Apple wrote a wrapper so they wouldn't have to bundle Qt with their web-browser.
I know little about Gecko, but would be amazed if it has no dependencies.
KMPlayer is a KPart that controls MPlayer. Once installed it will be embedded in web pages that would usually use something like quicktime or WMP and then use MPlayer to play/stream/"whatever is going on" the media.
Indeed you have to use kdelibs and KHTML, but I'd hardly describe kdelibs too heavyweight for most desktop users! Are you sure you meant those terms? Sure kdelibs is more resource hungry than gtk and glib, but it's bearable for most people. Anyway I wasn't propping up KDE toys, I was just offering you the example.
With regard to you not being able to get the Troy trailer working with MPlayer at all, I'm at a loss. My version is 0.92, and natch you need the win32 codecs. If you can grab the mov it presumably should play.
Multimedia support is still weak. Today I wanted to watch the trailer for the Runaway Jury, but unfortunately Apple have monopolised the market on film trailers (I heard they pay or give free/ultra cheap hosting in order to make people use QuickTime) and, surprise, their website doesn't work well on Linux. There is no real standard location for browser plugins, nor is there any readily accepted implementation for embedding playback engines into the browser. You have to grep the page sources for the URL to the.mov, and even then it doesn't work as neither mplayer nor xine understand the MOV reference types (a proprietary form of redirect, in effect). So I can't watch the trailer.
I just watched this trailer from the apple site (I couldn't find Runaway Jury). KMPlayer is a KPart wrapper around MPlayer. Thus it can be embedded in webpages shown with Konqueror. I went to the above page and KMPlayer was embedded in the center and it started playing the trailer straight away.
Of course it would be nice if Apple didn't have the hold they do on movie trailers, but at least there's now a way to from the comfort of your Linux based web-browser.
Personally I try to avoid trailers, they spoil the films don't you find?
It's so goddamn hard to compile and install a KDE app from source with all the directory requirements
There's one directory requirement, I set KDEDIR=/opt/kde3 in my.bashrc and then all I ever need to do to compile KDE apps is./configure && make && su -c "make install" - just like compiling anything else! Some apps don't have the requirement, it depends on whether they use technologies like XMLGUI which, unfortunately, require you install to the kde prefix.
Dunno what you're chatting about. Your point about app bundling is quite valid however.
JuK doesn't replace noatun in 3.2, noatun will still be there. JuK is a media Library, Noatun a media player that plays audio and video. They are barely similar appplications.
GStreamer is looking more likely to be adopted by KDE. Arts is a little unmaintained and not well liked. GStreamer is good, has few new dependencies (arts depends on glib too as it happens), and supported by freedesktop.org. All things going for it. But frankly I don't know who will decide this sort of thing.
True the name is tacky, but they have sponsored the upcoming ReiserFS 4 they sponsor kde-look.org and to my knowledge they are also funding a number of other OSS projects (like that web-page creation one, is it NVU?).
They are contributors. They have gradually won my respect.
On the other hand distros like Xandros are gradually losing my respect. They don't seem to offer anything back to the community. Looks like a mighty fine distro though and I'm glad it's available.
You've just proved that there isn't a single voice that can be called "slashdot". People have different opinions on these subjects. Sometimes you read an opinion at +5 that differs to another you just read.
Reading that page I felt that they were being objective and clearly not trying to favor one webserver over the other until out of the blue (about two thirds down) popped this classic quote that could easily have come from an MS marketing campaign:
The fact that a bulk hoster chose to revert to Apache to run 1.4 million domains may have more to do with its lower up-front cost than with its performance, security, or features.
Eh? Where's the objectivity there? The implication is that Apache is only being used because it's cheaper than IIS, "after all folks you pay for quality."
After that quote it went down hill with them frequently implying that Netcraft is inflating their statistics to suggest Apache is king. They were a little petty over inconsitencies in Netcraft's statistical methods documentation and generally claimed their analysis is oodles better than Netcraft's "industry standard".
Their statistics appear ludicrous and they appear to be chanting MS slogans. I trust them not one bit.
Netcraft! Forgive me for glancing at the competition! I'm coming home now.
You'd be more than welcome, there's plenty of bits around that need work. The challenge is finding something that you know enough about and that someone else isn't already trying to "hog".
Personally I'm waiting for 3.2 beta2 to do some bug hunting/fixing. After 3.2 it's fields of gold for opportunities.. also I get the impression KDE is more lax about what can go in. If it's good code and has a purpose it's acceptable.
There are some areas where standardisation is necessary. Copy-and-paste between apps and interprocess communication are things which need to be standardised, otherwise things just plain don't work.
Yep I agree completely, and that's why freedesktop.org is there. Gnome, KDE and a few other DEs/WMs have been standardising on key issues that they should have been standard on years ago. The pace recently has quickened substantially.
You gave DCOP as an example and the current thinking with the core is to try and replace DCOP with DBUS by KDE 4 (which I estimate at 18 months away), DBUS is an fd.o standard and Gnome I think are gunna probably implement it before KDE even though it should be easier for it to be implemented under KDE due to its simularity to DCOP (so I'm told).
I think I phrased myself badly:) I meant I don't want to see Linux become 95% one DE as blimey that would be dull.
Yep, completely agree with you. Things are definately moving that way. The reason they are as well is because no one DE has a huge share. As soon as projects "monopolise" segments they feel less inclined to interoperate. Less so in an OSS environment, but it still occurs to an extent.
One such SuSE paid KDE developer is Waldo Bastian. I can't see him stopping KDE development. I don't know him personally, but I know his KDE history and current status in the project. He's very keen on KDE.
Most KDE hackers are, funnily enough, keen on KDE. Most OSS developers devote themselves to their chosen projects. Of course a good paycheck is something to covet in these trying times, but I have faith in the near-religious devotion us hackers have to our tasks.
The only caveat I can think of is that you will need to pay for Qt, or yes you have to release under a more liberal license (GPL or QPL). Of course you could use one of the many KDE-bindings. I'm not familiar with the bindings though, with their licensing or whether there is a set for a language that can be compiled.
How did theKompany get around that obstacle and make commercial KDE apps?
Because there is no obstacle. All KDE libs* are LGPL, you have no obligation to GPL a KDE application. Of course it'd be nice if you did. Anyway I though theKompany developed GPL software and they then sold it.
*bar some libs for inessential applications like amaroK, but that's because I only just realised we probably blanket licensed that GPLv2. Ooops.
Actually I think the vocal minority wanted "consolidation".
The rest of us wanted healthy competition. I'd hate for corporate America to standardise Linux distributions like Microsoft have standardised the intel personal computer.
As said, great post. Also it's clear to most of us that you're well ahead of the curve. You're well ahead of me really, and I'm 22. Welcome to my friend list:)
In fact this leads to the possibility that eventually X apps could have a more uniform look and feel than Windows apps.You have no control over the widget appearance of Windows apps (ZoneAlarm? Office? Explorer? Notepad? All different, and there are many more examples..), however you do have control over the widget appearance of open source toolkits (well all the popular ones anyway).
If a distro was determined it could make a distro which contained applications that all looked identical.
Unfortunately this is probably unlikely, much like the subtle differences between the Notepad and Write widget sets in Windows, there will likely always be subtle nuances in the X toolkits.
Still at least you are currently less likely to be confronted and forced to put up with (if you want to use the app) an abomination like ZoneAlarm, or pretty much all "cool" commercial software. Someone a few years ago decided that if you're making a commercial toy/tool/config dialog (Nvidia anyone?) for Windows then you have to slightly modify/completely modify the widgets and window art. One more reason I'm happy never to go back to Windows.
70% of the cost of Aluminium is electricity. 15% of all the electricity produced in Australia is consumed by their national Aluminium smelting plants. (ref)
Now Aluminium is an extreme example, however I'm sure that you can now see that the potential increase in overall wealth would be due to more than just what you pay for your electricity bill every year.
I saw iPulse after I'd worked on Filelight. It's not really entirely similar to what I've done. Frankly it's probably better because it displays so much different information in a compact form. My tool is far more specific.
Slashdot Mirror
While it is true that MS have stopped piping on their anti-Linux horn quite so much since SCO have been up to their mischief, it could of course be because they recognised that SCO were doing a better job than they were, and of course that the backlash would not be aimed at Redmond.
That is, MS didn't necessarily pay for SCO's fud, they just recognised a good wave to ride when it came by.
Naturally I don't believe that though, after all they did pay SCO millions of dollars for a "license". I think they saw an opportunity and took it.
So? Most things have dependencies and if you want to use some other code that has a dependency you either install that dependency or write a wrapper for it.
KHTML depends on Qt, mostly QString, one class. Apple wrote a wrapper so they wouldn't have to bundle Qt with their web-browser.
I know little about Gecko, but would be amazed if it has no dependencies.
Those things look fantastic. And it's perfect timing since I spilt coffee on my keyboard days ago and lost use of the F and number keys.
Is there any way to get one in the UK without getting it shipped from the US?
KMPlayer is a KPart that controls MPlayer. Once installed it will be embedded in web pages that would usually use something like quicktime or WMP and then use MPlayer to play/stream/"whatever is going on" the media.
Indeed you have to use kdelibs and KHTML, but I'd hardly describe kdelibs too heavyweight for most desktop users! Are you sure you meant those terms? Sure kdelibs is more resource hungry than gtk and glib, but it's bearable for most people. Anyway I wasn't propping up KDE toys, I was just offering you the example.
With regard to you not being able to get the Troy trailer working with MPlayer at all, I'm at a loss. My version is 0.92, and natch you need the win32 codecs. If you can grab the mov it presumably should play.
I just watched this trailer from the apple site (I couldn't find Runaway Jury). KMPlayer is a KPart wrapper around MPlayer. Thus it can be embedded in webpages shown with Konqueror. I went to the above page and KMPlayer was embedded in the center and it started playing the trailer straight away.
Of course it would be nice if Apple didn't have the hold they do on movie trailers, but at least there's now a way to from the comfort of your Linux based web-browser.
Personally I try to avoid trailers, they spoil the films don't you find?
It's so goddamn hard to compile and install a KDE app from source with all the directory requirements
.bashrc and then all I ever need to do to compile KDE apps is ./configure && make && su -c "make install" - just like compiling anything else! Some apps don't have the requirement, it depends on whether they use technologies like XMLGUI which, unfortunately, require you install to the kde prefix.
There's one directory requirement, I set KDEDIR=/opt/kde3 in my
Dunno what you're chatting about. Your point about app bundling is quite valid however.
Yeah I mean "jukebox". I call them media libraries as they allow you to browse your media collection and the media is categorised.
GStreamer isn't a Gnome app. It was picked up by Gnome for 2.2.
JuK doesn't replace noatun in 3.2, noatun will still be there. JuK is a media Library, Noatun a media player that plays audio and video. They are barely similar appplications.
GStreamer is looking more likely to be adopted by KDE. Arts is a little unmaintained and not well liked. GStreamer is good, has few new dependencies (arts depends on glib too as it happens), and supported by freedesktop.org. All things going for it. But frankly I don't know who will decide this sort of thing.
True the name is tacky, but they have sponsored the upcoming ReiserFS 4 they sponsor kde-look.org and to my knowledge they are also funding a number of other OSS projects (like that web-page creation one, is it NVU?).
They are contributors. They have gradually won my respect.
On the other hand distros like Xandros are gradually losing my respect. They don't seem to offer anything back to the community. Looks like a mighty fine distro though and I'm glad it's available.
You've just proved that there isn't a single voice that can be called "slashdot". People have different opinions on these subjects. Sometimes you read an opinion at +5 that differs to another you just read.
How surprising.
JuK for KDE 3.2 has integrated MusicBrainz.
Reading that page I felt that they were being objective and clearly not trying to favor one webserver over the other until out of the blue (about two thirds down) popped this classic quote that could easily have come from an MS marketing campaign:
Eh? Where's the objectivity there? The implication is that Apache is only being used because it's cheaper than IIS, "after all folks you pay for quality."
After that quote it went down hill with them frequently implying that Netcraft is inflating their statistics to suggest Apache is king. They were a little petty over inconsitencies in Netcraft's statistical methods documentation and generally claimed their analysis is oodles better than Netcraft's "industry standard".
Their statistics appear ludicrous and they appear to be chanting MS slogans. I trust them not one bit.
Netcraft! Forgive me for glancing at the competition! I'm coming home now.
You'd be more than welcome, there's plenty of bits around that need work. The challenge is finding something that you know enough about and that someone else isn't already trying to "hog".
Personally I'm waiting for 3.2 beta2 to do some bug hunting/fixing. After 3.2 it's fields of gold for opportunities.. also I get the impression KDE is more lax about what can go in. If it's good code and has a purpose it's acceptable.
Yep I agree completely, and that's why freedesktop.org is there. Gnome, KDE and a few other DEs/WMs have been standardising on key issues that they should have been standard on years ago. The pace recently has quickened substantially.
You gave DCOP as an example and the current thinking with the core is to try and replace DCOP with DBUS by KDE 4 (which I estimate at 18 months away), DBUS is an fd.o standard and Gnome I think are gunna probably implement it before KDE even though it should be easier for it to be implemented under KDE due to its simularity to DCOP (so I'm told).
I think I phrased myself badly
Yep, completely agree with you. Things are definately moving that way. The reason they are as well is because no one DE has a huge share. As soon as projects "monopolise" segments they feel less inclined to interoperate. Less so in an OSS environment, but it still occurs to an extent.
One such SuSE paid KDE developer is Waldo Bastian. I can't see him stopping KDE development. I don't know him personally, but I know his KDE history and current status in the project. He's very keen on KDE.
Most KDE hackers are, funnily enough, keen on KDE. Most OSS developers devote themselves to their chosen projects. Of course a good paycheck is something to covet in these trying times, but I have faith in the near-religious devotion us hackers have to our tasks.
Still I feel all uncertain.
The only caveat I can think of is that you will need to pay for Qt, or yes you have to release under a more liberal license (GPL or QPL). Of course you could use one of the many KDE-bindings. I'm not familiar with the bindings though, with their licensing or whether there is a set for a language that can be compiled.
Because there is no obstacle. All KDE libs* are LGPL, you have no obligation to GPL a KDE application. Of course it'd be nice if you did. Anyway I though theKompany developed GPL software and they then sold it.
*bar some libs for inessential applications like amaroK, but that's because I only just realised we probably blanket licensed that GPLv2. Ooops.
Actually I think the vocal minority wanted "consolidation".
The rest of us wanted healthy competition. I'd hate for corporate America to standardise Linux distributions like Microsoft have standardised the intel personal computer.
Maybe I'm just nervous because I hack on KDE.
Also it's worth noting that Kopete and the KAddressBook are integrated in KDE 3.2. Done without an incentive of $2500 too :)
As said, great post. Also it's clear to most of us that you're well ahead of the curve. You're well ahead of me really, and I'm 22. Welcome to my friend list :)
In fact this leads to the possibility that eventually X apps could have a more uniform look and feel than Windows apps.You have no control over the widget appearance of Windows apps (ZoneAlarm? Office? Explorer? Notepad? All different, and there are many more examples..), however you do have control over the widget appearance of open source toolkits (well all the popular ones anyway).
If a distro was determined it could make a distro which contained applications that all looked identical.
Unfortunately this is probably unlikely, much like the subtle differences between the Notepad and Write widget sets in Windows, there will likely always be subtle nuances in the X toolkits.
Still at least you are currently less likely to be confronted and forced to put up with (if you want to use the app) an abomination like ZoneAlarm, or pretty much all "cool" commercial software. Someone a few years ago decided that if you're making a commercial toy/tool/config dialog (Nvidia anyone?) for Windows then you have to slightly modify/completely modify the widgets and window art. One more reason I'm happy never to go back to Windows.
For example:
70% of the cost of Aluminium is electricity.
15% of all the electricity produced in Australia is consumed by their national Aluminium smelting plants. (ref)
Now Aluminium is an extreme example, however I'm sure that you can now see that the potential increase in overall wealth would be due to more than just what you pay for your electricity bill every year.
I saw iPulse after I'd worked on Filelight. It's not really entirely similar to what I've done. Frankly it's probably better because it displays so much different information in a compact form. My tool is far more specific.