What I would *LOVE* to see in a desktop...

[SilentThunderStorm]

OK... some will take this as a rant; it is not meant that way... as such, this is my official TL;DR disclaimer.

I like Gnome 3, but I really miss Cube.

I love being able to mod my desktop with javascript, but don't believe it goes far enough.

I am really tired of FOSS trying to imitate NSOS (Not So Open Software) such as MS and Apple.

I would *LOVE* to see a desktop environment where all of these concerns could come together and have beautiful children.

How about one which is based on HTML5, NodeJS and Less as the widget development chain? One that still allowed for imported libraries?

How about if you could tarball a web application and launch it as a fully compiled, native app on the desktop?

Even better if Apache was built-in in such a way that these apps would have access to PHP, Python, Perl, PostgreSQL, etc directly from the desktop... access to imported .js libraries such as jQuery, Pixastic, Crafty, etc.

Even relative newbies would be able to create full fledged, stable apps with relative ease.

I am not saying 'do this instead of c, c++, qt, java, etc.'... I mean specifically as an interface and widget engine, such as js is currently used in Gnome 3, but perhaps expanded to be capable of running natively as a desktop scripting system.

Rather than trying to imitate MS and Apple, maybe mix and match a little better, and start to throw some Chrome OS in along for the mix?

As new as HTML5 is, it is rapidly maturing, and with the V8 engine from Google being open sourced, we could actually have a very cool, easily modifiable desktop environment, using nothing more complicated than designing a web page, plus a few OS hooks.

Ideally, in my sometimes-humble opinion, it would be, by default, a mix of Gnome 3 panel, but with Gnome 2's Workspace handling... yet, obviously, the actual look and feel of the desktop would be able to be completely remade by simply modifying the few files which determined its layout and appearance.

Even better, special platforms, such as tablets (hint hint hint) would not need a separate desktop environment (or, conversely, screw up everyone else's) because all it would take it a small text file download (the layout HTML if any additional interface is required, otherwise just the css for layout, and the js for interactivity) to modify the desktop for a touch interface, and to make the layout more friendly, no matter the size or resolution of the display.

Rather than going the Chrome OS route of a shallow operating system, this would be backed by the full power and stability of Ubuntu.

It probably wouldn't even take much additional work from that point to make the desktop Android ready, to allow real gaming to finally come to Linux (no offense Tux Racing fans... but, rly?).

Add to this the ability to still use Compiz for cube and a few other highly requested features, I think it would be a win.

Not completely certain how these would mix, but in my limited understanding, I can see the desktop environment itself handled by HTML, NodeJS and Less, allowing, for example, jQuery effects to be built into desktop applications simply... while Compiz could handle the compositing of the desktop as a whole, allowing for cross-workspace effects.

I have never been a part of an Open Source project, but would certainly lend my hand to the project in whatever way I could. I am not fully conversant in the depths of Linux Kernel, nor do I understand the inner workings of a compositing engine... but I would be more than happy to help however i could be of use.

I would also be more than willing to bet that a desktop environment like this would win numerous converts... including the old guard that freaked out when Gnome 3 pulled Compiz, and Ubuntu pulled Unity... a desktop environment like this might actually be able to please a lot of these people.

Even better if this humble post could attract the attention of one of the 'big guys'... like the Gnome team, the Unity team... maybe even the much maligned Compiz team.

Here is to hoping.

If anyone likes this, please respond below to show support. If anyone actually has a clue how to get something like this rolling, PLEASE respond; I would love to hear it, and you can count on me in there willing to crunch through whatever code you put my hands to.

[mamamia88]

OK... some will take this as a rant; it is not meant that way... as such, this is my official TL;DR disclaimer.

I like Gnome 3, but I really miss Cube.

I love being able to mod my desktop with javascript, but don't believe it goes far enough.

I am really tired of FOSS trying to imitate NSOS (Not So Open Software) such as MS and Apple.

I would *LOVE* to see a desktop environment where all of these concerns could come together and have beautiful children.

How about one which is based on HTML5, NodeJS and Less as the widget development chain? One that still allowed for imported libraries?

How about if you could tarball a web application and launch it as a fully compiled, native app on the desktop?

Even better if Apache was built-in in such a way that these apps would have access to PHP, Python, Perl, PostgreSQL, etc directly from the desktop... access to imported .js libraries such as jQuery, Pixastic, Crafty, etc.

Even relative newbies would be able to create full fledged, stable apps with relative ease.

I am not saying 'do this instead of c, c++, qt, java, etc.'... I mean specifically as an interface and widget engine, such as js is currently used in Gnome 3, but perhaps expanded to be capable of running natively as a desktop scripting system.

Rather than trying to imitate MS and Apple, maybe mix and match a little better, and start to throw some Chrome OS in along for the mix?

As new as HTML5 is, it is rapidly maturing, and with the V8 engine from Google being open sourced, we could actually have a very cool, easily modifiable desktop environment, using nothing more complicated than designing a web page, plus a few OS hooks.

Ideally, in my sometimes-humble opinion, it would be, by default, a mix of Gnome 3 panel, but with Gnome 2's Workspace handling... yet, obviously, the actual look and feel of the desktop would be able to be completely remade by simply modifying the few files which determined its layout and appearance.

Even better, special platforms, such as tablets (hint hint hint) would not need a separate desktop environment (or, conversely, screw up everyone else's) because all it would take it a small text file download (the layout HTML if any additional interface is required, otherwise just the css for layout, and the js for interactivity) to modify the desktop for a touch interface, and to make the layout more friendly, no matter the size or resolution of the display.

Rather than going the Chrome OS route of a shallow operating system, this would be backed by the full power and stability of Ubuntu.

It probably wouldn't even take much additional work from that point to make the desktop Android ready, to allow real gaming to finally come to Linux (no offense Tux Racing fans... but, rly?).

Add to this the ability to still use Compiz for cube and a few other highly requested features, I think it would be a win.

Not completely certain how these would mix, but in my limited understanding, I can see the desktop environment itself handled by HTML, NodeJS and Less, allowing, for example, jQuery effects to be built into desktop applications simply... while Compiz could handle the compositing of the desktop as a whole, allowing for cross-workspace effects.

I have never been a part of an Open Source project, but would certainly lend my hand to the project in whatever way I could. I am not fully conversant in the depths of Linux Kernel, nor do I understand the inner workings of a compositing engine... but I would be more than happy to help however i could be of use.

I would also be more than willing to bet that a desktop environment like this would win numerous converts... including the old guard that freaked out when Gnome 3 pulled Compiz, and Ubuntu pulled Unity... a desktop environment like this might actually be able to please a lot of these people.

Even better if this humble post could attract the attention of one of the 'big guys'... like the Gnome team, the Unity team... maybe even the much maligned Compiz team.

Here is to hoping.

If anyone likes this, please respond below to show support. If anyone actually has a clue how to get something like this rolling, PLEASE respond; I would love to hear it, and you can count on me in there willing to crunch through whatever code you put my hands to.
There is nothing new under the sun. Open source means that anyone can edit the code and try their had at developing. Most people who are tech savy enough to do it probably have probably used other oses quite a bit. Whether on purpose or not they are bound to have similarities

[SilentThunderStorm]

There is nothing new under the sun. Open source means that anyone can edit the code and try their had at developing. Most people who are tech savy enough to do it probably have probably used other oses quite a bit. Whether on purpose or not they are bound to have similarities

While 'anyone can try their hand at developing', it is also likely to fail unless one has a good knowledge of kernel, a solid understanding of the structure of the desktop environment in linux, and strong experience with running Open Source projects... including subversioning, dividing up projects, delegation, bug tracking, etc. etc. etc.

Personally, I would love to see a project like the one above... I see nothing really stopping it from being able to become a reality, and I know that a lot of people would love it.

I simply have no idea, myself, how to go about starting and maintaining such a project myself.

Any solid information that might directly lead to the success of a project would be most welcome.

And, yes, while 'there is nothing new under the sun', it can also be said that there is certainly room for a lot of growth in the power and flexibility of the desktop environment, and this project would aim towards bringing both, and doing so in a cross platform, standardized language.... Difficult to see how that would be anything but a win.

[thatguruguy]

Just to be perfectly clear: You think that making the desktop act as a browser would be the key to getting top-tier games to come to Linux?

[SilentThunderStorm]

Just to be perfectly clear: You think that making the desktop act as a browser would be the key to getting top-tier games to come to Linux?

No... that would be a misinterpretation.

To be clear, I would love for the desktop to not simply have an integrated browser (like having your desktop be FaceBook), but rather that the language that the desktop was written in be PHP, HTML5, CSS, JS.

The difference, here, is that you would generally *NOT* set your desktop to a remote location, such as FaceBook or YouTube, but would rather define the desktop through these languages, and integrate it with your environment through OS hooks.

So, if you wanted a different menu system, and had the basic knowledge necessary to create a menu system on the web (which, lets face it, doesn't take much), you would be good to go. The desktop would have hooks in place (probably through C++ on the backend providing hooks through PHP or similar languages) allowing you to populate the menu with 'Favorites', 'My Computer' and whatnot.

The remark regarding Android was honestly a side note... it was not really meant to be derived from the idea of using web technologies for desktop design.

It would, however, bring a lot more game play to the table should Android be integrated into the linux environment, and this would be a good thing for numerous reasons.... but it would not be relevant or directly related to the other points; and I am not sure I would declare Android games, generally made for phones and tablets, to be 'top tier', either.

Of the main points in my original note, I would separate them into three major pieces.

1) Integrate web technologies directly into the desktop to allow a much more flexible, powerful, and easy to modify desktop environment. This would also help unify the desktop environment across a variety of devices without any user being forced to work on a desktop designed for a different device.

2) I would really like for compiz to still be workable on such a desktop... they supposed 'eye candy' was actually very productive for me, and from what I have seen, I am not alone... this, however, might be unworkable, or extremely difficult... and much of this might even be able to be imitated by using WebGL through the web tech on the desktop without compiz itself being required.

3) Anroid would be a very nice addition to such an environment. I understand that a lot of people would love for Android to come back to its linux roots and be integrated into the desktop... this would allow access to most of the Android apps on the linux desktop. Many of these apps are games, and would greatly increase the number and quality of games on linux, although, again, I would not claim them to be 'top-tier'.

Of these three, The first is by *far* the one I would consider the greatest in importance... it would also be the largest project of the three.

Hope that makes more sense.

[litiform]

I agree, I'm not a fan when people imitate Apple. Lots to not like about Apple products.