Re: Ambrosia Desktop Update

Gregory Casamento <[email protected]> Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:56:03 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.comp.lib.gnustep.general
Message-ID <CA+BLX-yG97zCy2NrR+O66yvf6Htavb8bTKT45s-VdfQkq-D4LQ@mail.gmail.com>
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Hey James,

Yes I've seen it.  The Milk theme is very pretty.  I like minimalist themes
that are simple and elegant.   I'm looking forward to seeing a theme like
it in GNUstep.

Yours, GC

On Mon, Jul 6, 2026 at 4:36=E2=80=AFAM James Carthew <[email protected]> w=
rote:

> Did you see the Milk theme? The point of it was mostly recreating:
> https://www.maxrudberg.com/themes.html Ink is just the current theme that
> I was running. I am still developing Ambrosia, I've just got some other
> apps I'm developing at the same time. Rik.theme is also supported for a
> more Mac-like theme. I might look at Cappucino at some point, the biggest
> issue with Ambrosia right now is cleaning up the Wayland backend. It's
> still missing a lot compared to X11.
>
> On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 at 12:08, Gregory Casamento <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> 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.   O=
ne
>> 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 t=
he
>> 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]=
sell.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I thought the earlier Ambrosia screenshots showed promise.
>>>
>>> Some number of years ago, a startup called 280 North created two
>>> noteworthy
>>> applications: a slideshow creator and an Interface Builder clone called
>>> Atlas.
>>> (They also released the Cappuccino framework, which was basically a Coc=
oa
>>> clone for browser-based apps.  Tracking down the Atlas demo videos are
>>> well
>>> worth the time.)
>>>
>>> They were eventually acquired, but the Atlas codebase unfortunately nev=
er
>>> open-sourced, and then it disappeared.  However, Cappuccino is still
>>> around
>>> 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 call=
ed
>>> Aristo.
>>>
>>> - <https://www.cappuccino.dev/aristo/>
>>> - <https://github.com/cappuccino/aristo>
>>>
>>> I heartily recommend that you take wholesale from Aristo and make it th=
e
>>> 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 gettin=
g
>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Gregory Casamento
>> GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, Principal Consultant
>> http://www.gnustep.org - http://heronsperch.blogspot.com
>> https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c
>>
>

--=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">Hey James,</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-fam=
ily:monospace,monospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fo=
nt-family:monospace,monospace">Yes I&#39;ve seen it.=C2=A0 The Milk theme i=
s very pretty.=C2=A0 I like minimalist themes that are simple and elegant.=
=C2=A0 =C2=A0I&#39;m looking forward to seeing a theme like it in GNUstep.<=
/div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace"=
><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,mono=
space">Yours, GC</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_conta=
iner"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jul 6, 2026 at 4:36=E2=
=80=AFAM James Carthew &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">jcarthew@g=
mail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D=
"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-le=
ft:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Did you see the Milk theme? The point of it was mo=
stly=C2=A0recreating: <a href=3D"https://www.maxrudberg.com/themes.html" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">https://www.maxrudberg.com/themes.html</a> Ink is just the =
current theme that I was running. I am still developing Ambrosia, I&#39;ve =
just got some other apps I&#39;m developing at the same time. Rik.theme is =
also supported for a more Mac-like theme. I might look at Cappucino at some=
 point, the biggest issue with Ambrosia right now is cleaning up the Waylan=
d backend. It&#39;s still missing a lot compared to X11.</div><br><div clas=
s=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 =
at 12:08, Gregory Casamento &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]"=
 target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1p=
x solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"g=
mail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace">Colby,</div><div cl=
ass=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace"><br></div><=
div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace">Inter=
esting side note... I briefly worked with them.=C2=A0 =C2=A0Not open-sourci=
ng Atlas was a huge mistake.=C2=A0 I&#39;m glad that Cappuccino is still ar=
ound.=C2=A0 =C2=A0One thing I had considered doing back then was creating a=
 way to export to .cib (the format used by Atlas) so that people could crea=
te these files for the Cappuccino apps.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I&#39;m not sure how pr=
evalent Cappuccino is, so I can&#39;t confirm whether this is still worth p=
ursuing.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospace,m=
onospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monos=
pace,monospace">Yours, GC</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div di=
r=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 8:57=E2=80=AFPM Colby=
 Russell &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank=
">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"g=
mail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204=
,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I thought the earlier Ambrosia screenshots show=
ed 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>
</blockquote></div>
</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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