Subject: GNOME Foundation.
From: Martin Sevior (msevior@mccubbin.ph.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Thu Aug 17 2000 - 08:00:35 CDT
HI Everyone,
Recently the GNOME platform has been given a major boost by
the big Unix companies, SUN, COMPAQ, HP and IBM. They all basically
promise to adopt GNOME 2.0 as their default desktop. In addition SUN and
IBM promise to donate code and Engineers. In return it appears that GNOME
has promised to use "Technologies from Open Office" SUN's GPL'd version of
Star Office. One further interesting development in the world of GPL'd
software is that Mozilla will be dual Licensed MPL and GPL. GNOME will
also employ Mozilla components in its desktop.
In addition there is now a steering committee meant to overseee GNOME
development called the GNOME Foundation. It comprises long time GNOME
hackers, dedicated GNOME companies like Red Hat, Helix-Code and Eazil
along with the big Unix companies and finally it appears that large free
software projects like the GIMP have/might/are about to be asked to join.
I think the Abiword project should be presented on the committee too.
Based on line count we are certainly amongst the biggest contributers (if
not the biggest) contributer to GNOME. We have contributed over 300,000
lines of code to GNOME and are likely to be the only GNOME compliant Word
Processor for some period of time. If you poll ordinary users about which
apps they use the most they would be:
File Browser, Email, Web Browser and Word Processor.
GNOME has 1, 2 and 3 well on track. We're GNOME's best bet for 4.
Breaking Star office into seperate bonobo components is going to take at
least a year. If gnome wants 2.0 before the end of the year we're their
best chance by a mile. On the other hand there is the potential that we
may be marginalized on gnome if RedHat and Helix decide to not include us
because of the "promise to adopt Open Office Technologies". I think
representation on the committee is the best way to make our voice heard.
Just so that you all know, I personally do NOT want to be on the
committee. I would like someone from Abi there though.
Is this something we should talk about?
Cheers
Martin
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