Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:53:40 -0500 From: Zhihao Yuan <lichray@gmail.com> To: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Providing a default graphical environment on FreeBSD Message-ID: <CAGsORuBqiodwt_EmVqB%2BfO=tgOVeZOERopSE2y=mLa8Jp6ZOjQ@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <20120917120626.51369945@bhuda.mired.org> References: <CAGsORuB4yd8RKNLRWmcTx16iDOHWJkD1rnyArb98NwN%2BpwvPHA@mail.gmail.com> <63226.1347899311@critter.freebsd.dk> <CAGsORuD--BKCVB5wHEw5Q5SedhJ0reFVJtC3628tJAncbmgr8Q@mail.gmail.com> <20120917120626.51369945@bhuda.mired.org>
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>From a programmer's point of view, GUI is a protocol, a graphical language. It's true. But users don't care. Users don't care how their graphical commands are being implemented. Well, let's make it more straightforward. I hope people can agree with this: a default, officially supported modern desktop environment is essential to FreeBSD. On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 12:06 PM, Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> wrote: > On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:40:33 -0500 > Zhihao Yuan <lichray@gmail.com> wrote: >> GUI is a concept. People can use WM or DE as their GUIs. X11 is not >> usable from a user's point of view, so it's out of the question. So >> far, your statement "Assume X11 _is_ the graphical environment" is >> already nonsense. > > As someone who's used X without a WM or DE, I have to disagree. I > think PHK is dead on - X11 is a collection of protocols for working in > a bit mapped display + pointer (aka "graphical") environment. As > compared to a character-mapped display + keyboard (aka "command line") > environment. > >> And then, a modern GUI should take care of Wifi, automount, and many >> things can't be done with a single WM. > > You seem to be using GUI in a different manner than I'm used > to. Graphic User Interfaces don't *do* things, they provide a > graphical communications path (the Interface in GUI) between the user > and tools. Asking for a GUI that takes care of Wifi and automount and > other such things makes no more sense than asking for a mouse that > does those things. Those things are done by *tools*. You can have > tools with GUIs that do those things - a desktop manager, or a window > manager (and if you think a single WM can't do all those things, you > are looking at wimpy WMs), or a taskbar manager, or even a web-based > systems manager. > > Until you two can agree on what the terms mean, you're going to be > talking past each other. But PHK seems to be using the common > definitions. > > Or maybe you should start over, and describe the behavior of the > program you think FreeBSD should adopt, rather than trying to name it. > > <mike > -- > Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/ > Independent Software developer/SCM consultant, email for more information. > > O< ascii ribbon campaign - stop html mail - www.asciiribbon.org > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-hackers-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" -- Zhihao Yuan, nickname lichray The best way to predict the future is to invent it. ___________________________________________________ 4BSD -- http://4bsd.biz/
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