GNOME
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
GNOME is a computer desktop environment for UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems. It is the official desktop of the GNU Project.
| Table of contents |
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2 Aims 3 Organisation 4 GNOME platforms 5 Versions 6 Architecture 7 GNOME applications 8 See also 9 External links |
Origin
The GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) project was started in August 1997 by Miguel de Icaza as an attempt to provide a free software desktop for the GNU/Linux operating system.
At the time, the only serious alternative for the non-technical user was KDE. However, there were a number of problems associated with KDE: it was based on Trolltech's Qt toolkit, which had a number of licensing issues regarding alleged violations of the GPL. These issues were resolved by the release of Qt under the GPL and also the QPL, an approach known as dual-licensing. There is still considerable disagreement over the use of the full GPL for a library like Qt, and the restrictions this imposes on code linking to it, such as the KDE framework and any applications written for it.
Aims
According to the GNOME website: The GNOME project provides two things: The GNOME desktop environment, an intuitive and attractive desktop for end-users, and the GNOME development platform, an extensive framework for building applications that integrate into the rest of the desktop. The GNOME desktop puts heavy emphasis on simplicity, usability and making things Just Work.
As a consequence of this, two things are given prominence in GNOME development:
- Accessibility - designing and building a desktop and applications that can be used by anyone, regardless of disability.
- Internationalisation - ensuring that the desktop and applications are available in many languages.
Organisation
GNOME project development, like most Free software projects, is loosely organised -- preferring to rely on the dedication of those working on it. Most discussion regarding GNOME occurs on a variety of open mailing lists (see GNOME website). The GNOME foundation was set up in August 2000 to deal with administrative tasks, press interest and to act as a contact point for companies interested in GNOME development or distribution.
GNOME platforms
Although originally a GNU/Linux desktop, GNOME now runs on most Unix-like systems (*BSD variants, AIX, IRIX, HP-UX), and in particular it has been adopted by Sun Microsystems as the standard desktop for its Solaris platform, replacing the ageing CDE. Sun Microsystems has also released a business desktop under the name Java Desktop System -- a SuSE Linux system base with a GNOME desktop. There is also a port of GNOME to Cygwin, allowing it to run on Microsoft Windows. GNOME is also available in a number of LiveCD Linux distributions, which can be booted directly from a compact disc and do not require removal or changes to a pre-existing Microsoft Windows installation.
Versions
Each of the modules making up the GNOME project (see Architecture) has its own version number and release schedule. However, individual module maintainers coordinate their efforts to create a full GNOME stable release on a roughly six-month schedule. The releases listed in the table below are classed as stable. Unstable releases for testers and developers are not listed, nor are bugfix releases for individual modules.
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| August, 1997 | GNOME development announced | |
| 1.0 | March, 1999 | First major GNOME release |
| 1.0.55 | October, 1999 | "October" GNOME |
| 1.2 | May, 2000 | "Bongo" GNOME |
| 1.4 | April, 2001 | GNOME "Tranquility". Last version of 1.x series |
| 2.0 | June, 2002 | Major upgrade based on GTK2 |
| 2.2 | February, 2003 | |
| 2.4 | September, 2003 | |
| 2.6 | March, 2004 | Switched to spatial file manager, new file dialog |
Architecture
The GNOME desktop is built from a large number of different projects. A few of the major ones are listed below:
- ATK - Accessibility toolkit.
- Bonobo - a compound document technology.
- GConf - for storing application settings
- GNOME VFS - a virtual File system.
- GNOME Keyring - A security system for GNOME.
- GNOME Print - To print documents from GNOME applications
- Gstreamer - The multimedia framework for GNOME applications.
- GTK+ - Widget toolkit.
- LibXML - XML library designed for GNOME.
- Orbit - a CORBA ORB for software components.
- Pango - Layout and rendering of internationalized text.
- Metacity - window manager (though it is not mandatory to run GNOME).
- Human Interface Guidelines - Research and documentation done by Sun Microsystems on building easy to use GNOME applications
GNOME applications
See List of GNOME applications for a more complete list. Applications based on GNOME include:
- Abiword - Word processor.
- Anjuta - Software Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
- Dia - Structured drawing.
- Epiphany - Web browser. The default browser since GNOME 2.4. See also: Galeon
- Gaim - Instant messaging.
- Gedit - Text editor.
- The Gimp - Advanced image editor.
- Gnucash - personal/small business accounting.
- Gnumeric - Spreadsheet.
- GnomeMeeting - Telephony and Voice over IP.
- Gnome Speech.- speech technology into user interfaces for GNOME applications.
- Nautilus - File manager.
- Pan - Usenet newsreader.
- Inkscape - vector drawing.
- Ximian Evolution - Contacts/Time management and e-mail.
See also
- X11
- The Linux Documentation Project
- GNOME LiveCDs:
- List of open-source software packages
- List of Unix programs
External links