Re: how's the project going?

Since you actually are part of the project, you obviously know better 
than I do. My apologies.

When the QT-only patch was submitted (I'm not sure by who, it was not 
part of this project) it was almost entirely backed out (so I read on 
the kde-code-devel list) within weeks because it broke stuff that 
previously worked (but only on X11), as opposed to fixing it. As I 
remember, most of the KDE keyboard code is full of X11isms, which is a 
very real problem in some cases.

As best I understand, this is what's happening: Because KDE uses mostly 
uses QT, Ben and Ben were able to port it using primarily build magic 
and not-too-invasive code hacking. Because KDE uses a sizeable chunk of 
direct X11 calls, the port was not finished because some important 
parts of KDE would have to be re-written and/or the kde maintainers did 
not want to make fixes to remove the X11 calls (because they 
thought/think/know that they will have to fix it so that the code still 
does everything its supposed to).

Either way, it won't be finished until the rest of the X11isms are 
removed. I'm thinking that with QT 4 and KDE 4, the redesign will be 
large enough that things will get done the right way.

JP

On 20 Sep 2004, at 18:24, IceFox wrote:

> On Sunday 19 September 2004 9:54 pm, John Davidorff Pell wrote:
>> Howdy!
>>
>> A big part of the problem is that KDE developers are like a lot of
>> linux developers, they think you should be using linux.
>
> Not true at all.  KDE has a lot of BSD developers.  This is why KDE 
> doesn't
> have many real Linux only tools included with it.
>
>> KDE is *fully*
>> of X11isms, which break when not using QT/X11.
>
> Also not true.  Why do you think it only too four weeks to port all of 
> KDE?
>
>> QT provides all the
>> functionality needed, but the KDE people refuse patches to it on the
>> grounds that it works and you shouldn't break it. What they refuse to
>> accept is that sooner or later, it will break anyway and you might as
>> well fix it the *right* way now.
>
> Excuse me?  Please name one example when KDE people refused to patch 
> something
> back?
>
> You want to know the real reason for the slowness of the project?
>
> 0) Ben and I were the only ones really doing anything
> 1) It works for 99% of what we wanted (oooh shiny!)
> 2) I had to give back my laptop to Symbol in July so now I don't have 
> an Apple
> and until I do it probably wont move much unless the other Benjamin 
> does
> stuff or I can save up enough to get a replacement.  Anyone know if 
> Apple has
> some sort of loaner program?
>
> - -Benjamin Meyer


--
Blood is thicker than water... and much tastier.