1. HEPiX X11 Desktop Project: Pros and Cons
Author: Víctor Robles Forcada, IT/DIS/OSE
With the collaboration of:
Germán Cancio Meliá
Lionel Cons
Philippe Defert
Presented by:
Philippe Defert

2. Presentation Plan Part 1: Modern desktops: GNOME and KDE
Part 2: Deployment issues
Part 3: Questions, general discussion

3. PART 1
MODERN DESKTOPS
GNOME and KDE

4. Why not only a basic X11 environment?
Most X11 applications have important shortcomings:
Application Interoperability is too hard
User Interface is inconsistent and of unequal quality
Modern desktop environment brings the "glue"
Drag & Drop, Session Management, etc...
Consistent "look and feel"
Unified Help System
Easy dialog based desktop configuration
Common application development framework (-> MFC)
Compound document framework (-> OLE)
New exciting possibilities:
Hundreds of new applications (including Office)
Powerful application development environment

5. KDE and GNOME (reminder)
K Desktop Environment
KDE is a "complete desktop environment that try to make linux accessible to everybody"
At present KDE and for the first half of the next year KDE 2.0
GNU Network Object Model Environment
AIM: "GNOME Intends to build a complete, user-friendly desktop, similar to CDE or KDE, but based entirely on free software"
At present GNOME

6. What is new since April? New Qt 2.0 for KDE 2.0 with QPL License
GNOME Documentation (still not enough)
Lots of new applications
Component model: now in the basis.
Agree (KDE 2.0 & GNOME ):
Session Management protocol (XSMP)
Drag & Drop protocol (XDND)
Window Manager Specifications
Storing part of Desktop Information
Sound System (near future -aRTs-)
Still disagree:
CORBA (common IDL, server activation, etc.)
Printing
Help System
Directory layout, rc files, mime types, ShortCut keys

7. KDE Screenshot

9. GNOME Screenshots

10. GNOME Screenshots

11. Use of CORBA (reminder)
Used for implementing a component based programming framework (OLE)
As a general IPC mechanism
Exporting an application's API (IDL files)
Scripting (macros and Visual Basic)
Define system services
KOM/OpenParts and Bonobo (OLE2 and ActiveX)

12. Applications (reminder)
Both desktops have hundreds of applications.
Some useful, some buggy.
All kinds of applications: Mail clients, network, sound, development tools, games, etc.
Perhaps in a near future we will forget our 'standard' X applications
See the applications table

13. Office Suites

14. PART 2
DEPLOYMENT ISSUES

15. Choosing a Desktop Only one desktop or both ?
Main criteria for the selection:
Stability
Efficiency
Usability (ease of use, customization, ...)
Applications
Office Suite
Technology
Users will have the last word.

16. Desktop Customization
Central management avoids support nightmare
Things to customize:
Icons on the desktop (home directory, trash bin, applications ...)
Start up applications (mxconns)
Icons on the panel (netscape, xterm, phone book ...)
Applets on the panel (clock, CPU load ...)
Start Menu (like NICE?)
Specific programs (E.g. Tokens Applet)
Similar to HEPiX X11, NICE

17. Needed local Programs Interface to local print services
Managing Start menus
Applets (token watch, phone book, ...)

18. Estimations

19. More Information Web pages: Victor.Robles@cern.ch http://www.kde.org

20. PART 3
HEPiX IN THE GAME ?
SOME DISCUSSION !

21. Usage Who is using KDE/GNOME now ?
Which site is planning to support modern desktops ?
Which site plans to deploy GNOME/KDE ?

22. Deployment
Which site plans to have centralized deployment of a desktop ?
Which site would like to have a centrally managed desktop environment for his users ?
Would it be useful to organize an HEPiX collaboration about desktops to answer the questions: one or both, which customization, when, which OS, etc... ?

23. Development Who is planning development in these desktop environment ?
Encourage or discourage experiments to do so ?