Re: tlug: KDE, GTK...etc. etc

[Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com>]

On Sat, 10 Apr 1999, Subba Rao wrote:

> I have been coming across lot of different X libraries. What are these libraries
> for?
> 
> I have my X windows up with fvwm-X manager. It does all I need from X Windows.
> 
> What extra benefit do I get from these new libraries?
> Which is the most widely used and becoming the standard?


There are doubtless others more qualified to answer this, but here goes:

KDE and Gnome are two competing efforts to bring a unified GUI to the
Linux desktop.  KDE is developed using the Qt libraries, which are not
Free, but the stuff needed for KDE may be freely distributed, if I
understand correctly (but isn't open source?).

Gnome is a GPLed project built around GTK+.  GTK+ is the Gimp Tool Kit,
and as the name suggests, was originally developing for the purpose of
writing The Gimp.  It caught on in popularity and is now used for a
great many packages, including the Gnome system.  Most (all?)
distributions ship with GTK+ and by the end of 1999, I would expect that
most (all?) distributions will also ship with Gnome, KDE, or both (as
some already do).

If your current setup meets all of your needs, there is no requirement
to go to either Gnome or KDE, although getting GTK is recommended (if
you don't already have it), just because so many applications coming out
today are built on it.

Cheers,

Jonathan Byrne                                   Engineering Division
Global Online Japan                              http://www.gol.com/
Tel:  +81 03-5334-1700   Fax: +81-03-5334-1701   Direct: +81-03-5334-1756


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