[Desktop_architects] Knoppix notes for DAM 3
Klaus Knopper
knopper at knopper.net
Fri Dec 8 08:48:57 PST 2006
Hello everyone,
I wasn't able to attend DAM-III this year, just dropping you a note
about things the Knoppix Team is currently working on (and being
interested in, naturally) desktop-wise, though not all of it relates to
an "architects" discussion:
- Common themes and interfaces for GNOME and KDE, so the look, feel and
useage of programs is not too different when switching from one to the
other desktop. In fact, it should be possible to turn a KDE into a
GNOME session without logging out and in again.
- Integration/experiments with compiz and beryl as 3D window managers,
in both Gnome and KDE. Works well so far, even without the need of
proprietary drivers, and apart from the eye candy there are some quite
useful desktop utilities like continuous realtime zoom and window
overviews, and transparency tricks that are very useful for
presentations. Main problem: X Composite extension is unstable in the
(OSS) nvidia driver, DRI does not work for all cards, and there is no
reliable API for finding out if the X server is really working
flawlessly with all needed extensions. Not necessarily a desktop
issue.
- The menu problem: Resorting Debian/XDG menu structures is a horrible
scripting hack. There should be a way to hide "advanced users" menu
entries unless the user sets a "skill level" from "easy" to
"advanced", in order to keep the menus from being overfilled with
too much stuff.
- Accessibility. We would like to have a desktop that can be used
completely without a monitor and mouse (by blind people, for example).
Currently, the only desktop that is able to do this in a way that we
think is sufficient, is text console/dialog based:
http://knopper.net/knoppix-adriane/index-en.html
That's just an overview of problems we are working on at application
level with existing Debian packages and some of our own scripts and
packages. Maybe some of it is of interest to other distros, and maybe
not.
No action or discussion required. ;-)
Hope to be able to attend next year!
With kind regards
-Klaus Knopper & Knoppix Team
---
Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Knopper Auf den Dungen 40
Phone+Fax: +49 6307 40 10 140 67718 Schmalenberg
http://www.knopper.net/ GERMANY
More information about the Desktop_architects
mailing list