[FWD] Petition to Open Source CDE and Motif

[Tony Balinski]

Quoting Michael Smith <smithm at netapps.com.au>:

> On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 17:40:44 +0200
> Joerg Fischer <jf505 at gmx.de> wrote:
>
> > Bert Wesarg wrote (to the NEdit developer list):
> >
> > > Have a look at this site:
> > >
> > > http://www.marutan.net/cde/
> > >
> >
> > So far roughly a thousand folks have signed this petition.  Is
> > anyone on this list who really is against an open source Motif
> > and CDE?
> >
> > Otherwise, shouldn't the NEdit project join in the petition to
> > support it some more?
>
> Well, partly open sourcing openmotif was a disaster for the existing open
> source motif project. Its hard to believe there still wouldn't be strings
> attached.

I agree. If anything this is holding up the full opening of Motif, since
the Open folks probably think they've done enough. But since Motif is
still hamstrung with lots of constraints, the open source community won't
touch it with a bargepole. The consequent lack of synergy is killing
Motif IMO.

> And CDE, for me, is about the worst desktop environment out there. If I
> want something light I will use fvwm. For something nice there is gnome,
> kde and xfce.

A matter of taste. I loved CDE once I got to know it. That took some time
though.

> I actually think its a noble goal to ask for these things to be open
> sourced, I am just not very enthusiastic about it.

But will it stop you signing the petition?

Tony