Re: Ambrosia Desktop Update

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Colby,

Interesting side note... I briefly worked with them.   Not open-sourcing
Atlas was a huge mistake.  I'm glad that Cappuccino is still around.   One
thing I had considered doing back then was creating a way to export to .cib
(the format used by Atlas) so that people could create these files for the
Cappuccino apps.   I'm not sure how prevalent Cappuccino is, so I can't
confirm whether this is still worth pursuing.

Yours, GC

On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 8:57=E2=80=AFPM Colby Russell <[email protected]=
l.com>
wrote:

> I thought the earlier Ambrosia screenshots showed promise.
>
> Some number of years ago, a startup called 280 North created two notewort=
hy
> applications: a slideshow creator and an Interface Builder clone called
> Atlas.
> (They also released the Cappuccino framework, which was basically a Cocoa
> clone for browser-based apps.  Tracking down the Atlas demo videos are we=
ll
> worth the time.)
>
> They were eventually acquired, but the Atlas codebase unfortunately never
> open-sourced, and then it disappeared.  However, Cappuccino is still arou=
nd
> and has always been LGPL.
>
> Before the acquisition, they'd used some of their startup funding to
> contract
> with a professional design agency to create a theme for Cappuccino called
> Aristo.
>
> - <https://www.cappuccino.dev/aristo/>
> - <https://github.com/cappuccino/aristo>
>
> I heartily recommend that you take wholesale from Aristo and make it the
> default theme for Ambrosia (even if you yourself don't find it to your
> taste
> and configure your personal machine to something more in line with the
> screenshot you've included here).  One of the biggest factors in getting
> people to be excited about a project like GNUStep/Ambrosia and a
> willingness
> to try it is providing an immediately attractive and accessible
> out-of-the-box
> experience.
>
> Xamarin also paid for an overhaul of MonoDevelop that resulted in a new
> theme
> before they were acquired Microsoft.  I suggest borrowing from that
> work, too,
> to fill in the gaps (e.g. use the original iconset that the MonoDevelop
> theme
> used before they switched to flat UI).
>
> --
> Colby Russell
>
>
>

--=20
Gregory Casamento
GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, Principal Consultant
http://www.gnustep.org - http://heronsperch.blogspot.com
https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospac=
e,monospace">Colby,</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:=
monospace,monospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-f=
amily:monospace,monospace">Interesting side note... I briefly worked with t=
hem.=C2=A0 =C2=A0Not open-sourcing Atlas was a huge mistake.=C2=A0 I&#39;m =
glad that Cappuccino is still around.=C2=A0 =C2=A0One thing I had considere=
d doing back then was creating a way to export to .cib (the format used by =
Atlas) so that people could create these files for the Cappuccino apps.=C2=
=A0 =C2=A0I&#39;m not sure how prevalent Cappuccino is, so I can&#39;t conf=
irm whether this is still worth pursuing.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"=
 style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_de=
fault" style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace">Yours, GC</div></div><br><=
div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"g=
mail_attr">On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 8:57=E2=80=AFPM Colby Russell &lt;<a href=
=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt; w=
rote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0p=
x 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I thought =
the earlier Ambrosia screenshots showed promise.<br>
<br>
Some number of years ago, a startup called 280 North created two noteworthy=
<br>
applications: a slideshow creator and an Interface Builder clone called <br=
>
Atlas.<br>
(They also released the Cappuccino framework, which was basically a Cocoa<b=
r>
clone for browser-based apps.=C2=A0 Tracking down the Atlas demo videos are=
 well<br>
worth the time.)<br>
<br>
They were eventually acquired, but the Atlas codebase unfortunately never<b=
r>
open-sourced, and then it disappeared.=C2=A0 However, Cappuccino is still a=
round<br>
and has always been LGPL.<br>
<br>
Before the acquisition, they&#39;d used some of their startup funding to <b=
r>
contract<br>
with a professional design agency to create a theme for Cappuccino called<b=
r>
Aristo.<br>
<br>
- &lt;<a href=3D"https://www.cappuccino.dev/aristo/" rel=3D"noreferrer" tar=
get=3D"_blank">https://www.cappuccino.dev/aristo/</a>&gt;<br>
- &lt;<a href=3D"https://github.com/cappuccino/aristo" rel=3D"noreferrer" t=
arget=3D"_blank">https://github.com/cappuccino/aristo</a>&gt;<br>
<br>
I heartily recommend that you take wholesale from Aristo and make it the<br=
>
default theme for Ambrosia (even if you yourself don&#39;t find it to your =
taste<br>
and configure your personal machine to something more in line with the<br>
screenshot you&#39;ve included here).=C2=A0 One of the biggest factors in g=
etting<br>
people to be excited about a project like GNUStep/Ambrosia and a willingnes=
s<br>
to try it is providing an immediately attractive and accessible <br>
out-of-the-box<br>
experience.<br>
<br>
Xamarin also paid for an overhaul of MonoDevelop that resulted in a new <br=
>
theme<br>
before they were acquired Microsoft.=C2=A0 I suggest borrowing from that <b=
r>
work, too,<br>
to fill in the gaps (e.g. use the original iconset that the MonoDevelop <br=
>
theme<br>
used before they switched to flat UI).<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Colby Russell<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=
=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_s=
ignature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><font fac=
e=3D"monospace">Gregory Casamento<br>GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, =
Principal Consultant<br><a href=3D"http://www.gnustep.org" target=3D"_blank=
">http://www.gnustep.org</a> - <a href=3D"http://heronsperch.blogspot.com" =
target=3D"_blank">http://heronsperch.blogspot.com</a><br></font></div></div=
><div dir=3D"ltr"><font color=3D"#888888" face=3D"monospace"><a href=3D"htt=
ps://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c" style=3D"color:rgb(17,85,204)" =
target=3D"_blank">https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c</a></font><=
/div></div></div></div>

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