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Author: T.J. Duchene
Date:  
To: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] A better default windows manager


On 7/24/2015 6:30 PM, Marlon Nunes wrote:
> Guys what about a true UNIX and complete desktop environment to be the
> 'default' desktop for devuan 2.0?
>
> here's what i'm talking about:
>
> http://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/Home/
> http://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/What%20is%20CDE%3F/
>
> "CDE was designed with end users, software developers, and system
> administrators in mind. It gives end users a consistent, customizable,
> network-aware graphical user interface across workstations and PCs.
> CDE gives software developers a single set of graphical user interface
> (GUI) and desktop programming interfaces for all platforms that
> support the X Window System,TM simplifying the task of creating and
> distributing cross-platform applications."



CDE is basically dead, and in my opinion should remain dead. While I can
share your enthusiasm for older DE's, CDE was never a favorite of anyone
except corporate. Everyone else was using FVWM, Andrew, or OpenLook.

>
>
> The source code to the programs and libraries are released under the
> GNU LGPL 2.0 or later.
> Motif is under the LGPL as well.


Only because they realized Motif is dead as a cash cow. When I started
with UNIX - you had to license Motif, and it was not cheap.


If I might say so, X11 is in its twilight years, so bringing back old
DEs will just get harder and harder. Out of all the things I have seen
who tried and failed, I honestly think that Wayland will replace X11.
Anything that you can't sever from X11 will probably be left behind or
run in XWayland.

Personally, I think that efforts should be focused on building
lightweight UIs instead of DEs. I think that tiling window managers are
the direction the future will be taking. They are far more efficient,
task oriented, and lend themselves better to devices that allow natural
use - touch and motion sensing.