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In Reply To: X11 alternative: new X compatible GUI server

Post Re:X11 alternative: new X compatible GUI server
Author: Anon. 
Date: Mar 11, 2004 10:36 am

There are various technologies out there - but nothing cohesive enough to qualify significant market uptake and or suppport.

I'd like to see a GNU windowing system who's kernal is LGPL and whos library's are GPL. I'd like to see it developed with an open mind and open standards.

Technologies required would include:

  • An Extensible Window Definition language using device independant unitary measure (not pixels) to allow the reliable graphic rendition on any system. The XWDL would need to activly support the z axis (this could be flatened on less highly powered systems to become simply a window ordering methodology) so that a 3D desktop (like Sun's Lookingglass) could be supported by the kernal engine at a later date.
  • A new method of server/client piplining the session which has the above as it's core utilising integrated and optional encryption/compression (existing frameworks such as .
  • Integrated support for eps translation, png, svg and a off screen rendering buffer at the kernal level to handle transparencies and effects. Colour managment profiling available at this level.
  • A Kernal pluggin architecture for hardware acceleration of the above rendering buffer.
  • A common and extensible audio interface, integrated into the kernal with pluggin arcitecture for acceleration.
  • A pluggin x11 shell running on top of the kernal, to allow x11 apps to run while native interfaces are developed.

In short we need a GNU licensed windowing system which is modular enough to be scalable, sturdy enough to be used at enterprise level, is similar to Apple's Quartz/Quartz Extreme in its managment of hardware acceleration, is client/server based and uses XML customisability at every possible level. An inline XML to binary compiler would be used to improve efficiency where needed.

But this is all just a pipe dream - Why? - because Open source software development is organic. One thing grows from another. That is it's dissadvantage. There would not be enough developer support and most developers would consider it foolhardy to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. The xfree86 change in licence may alter this perception slightly - we'll have to wait and see. In the meanwhile, the open source development community is quite happy to continue adding functionality to X11 although as an architecture - it does have a lot of unrequired and out of date legacy components.

Any thoughts?

Dice.


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