Novell Linux Desktop is here!

If you refer to the GNOME part, you're correct. If you mean the whole distribution you're wrong as KDE is also there as equal integrated part.

And no mention of Fedora Core 3? Even though it uses the latest Gnome and the Novell version is a whole version behind. What a shame.

Novell are part of the GNOME community and therefore it's perfectly reasonable to have a story relating to them here, especially their first release since absorbing Ximian.
Sun, Red Hat etc all get stories too, there's no bias towards Novell specifically.

Yes, because it's not as if GNOME includes work from Ximian and Novell.

Oh wait...

This is news because Novell purchased Ximian, a very important GNOME company. This is basically Ximian Desktop 3, and a major contender for *really* getting GNOME onto the enterprise desktop. This release has been a long time coming, it sort of shows us that Ximian wasn't bought by Novell to die.

As for bias, what's missing? Sun's Java Desktop was mentioned recently, Fluendo gets coverage, Ubuntu gets coverage, lots of companies get coverage. I did notice Fedora Core 3 isn't on the front page today, but frankly, is that news? Another release right on schedule as opposed to something . . . more interesting.

I probably just got a bit trolled, but whatever. If you don't like the site, go somewhere else. Create something else. Whatever.

The demos displays the Gnome desktop that Novell uses for their dist.

It is quite a cute Flash animation. I wonder how they created it…
--
Michael JasonSmith http://ldots.org/

> Suse defaulting to gnome?

SUSE Pro 9.2 defaults to KDE, NLD 9 has no default desktop.

No, Novell Linux Desktop is maybe defaulting to Gnome (though you can choose both). SuSE Linux Professional 9.2 (released last week) is defaulting to KDE (though you can choose both).

The default Gnome desktop in SuSE9.2 is sadly, still bad from a Gnome users perspective.(is there any way to change thos icons on the menubar, the dont feel Gnomeish at all - icon themes seems to only switch icons in nautilus etc)
People who are SuSE/KDE users and try Gnome for fun are not impressed, the desktop feels badly integrated (for ex, pressing help gives them the KDE helpcenter with the Gnome manual etc).

NLD9 on the other hand is a much more integrated and polished Gnome desktop, thus Gnome 2.8 didnt makeit in this time, so it already feels a little bit old ;)

One thing, i was looking forwward to see more Monoapps shipping, such as Tomboy, Muine etc.

Will these come trough Red-Carpet, or will there be only updates to NLD during the next 18 months?

Anyway, big thanks for all Gnome developers and SuSE/Novell people for making this distro finally hit the streets :)

How would Ximian saying that Novell Linux Desktop defaulting to KDE, be considered "FUD"? In fact, where's your proof that Ximian has ever said Novell Linux Desktop defaults to KDE? How do we know YOU are not the real FUD god here?

> How would Ximian saying that Novell Linux Desktop defaulting to KDE

You're turning the words/desktops around. Ximian has always tried to give the impression that Novell Desktop will be a GNOME-only desktop or default to GNOME. A Ximian employee has been telling the press that "NLD integration work at Novell is only done for GNOME". A big lie.

Um, no. The NLD guys have always said that it would ship with Gnome and KDE but that the primary integration work (gaim, Evolution, Beagle, iFolder, nautilus) work is Gnome-based. Not to say KDE is ignored, though.

You forgot this gem:

"Novell's desktop software employs the GNOME user interface and software, but it will also include that of rival KDE, McLellan said. However, Novell's integration work is happening only with the GNOME applications, she said."

Christine McLellan, former Ximian member.

> Later they changed their position again saying that there will be no default for GNOME applications like Evolution, but that only Evolution will be integrated with other Novell products like Netware.

I have to apologize for saying that Miguel and Nat made this claim. The wrong claim was made by an analyst, not by anyone working at Novell:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1594126,00.asp

I have personally spoken to Novell employees who do integration work for KDE (OpenOffice, Netware support for Kontact, etc).

Well I've spoken personally to the big boss at Novell, and he's confirmed that KDE is in pure legacy mode. All the serious integration work in done for GNOME and KDE is being kept on a drip feed just to prevent any jihads from the notoriously looney KDE advocates.

that "big boss" was fired. check the news some time. what people don't seem to realise is that ximian has been pretty much destroyed. we're just left with the ghost that was ximian in legacy mode.

Last count, more distros were based on KDE than on GNOME. Surely this can't be the end of the world. Try one of the dozen or so very polished products based on KDE.

If Miguel and Nat repeatedly said that KDE would not be in NLD and would be dropped, then it should be easy to point to a URL backing that statement up. Please do so.

> If Miguel and Nat repeatedly said that KDE would not be in NLD and would be dropped, then it should be easy to point to a URL backing that statement up. Please do so.

They didn't claim that KDE will be immediately dropped from NLD, but they both said that Novell will standardize on GNOME technologies, and that they are in charge of it and can make this decision.

Miguel:

"* Novell is commited to build an stable ISV platform (you can read my blog for some thoughts on this).

* Gtk+, the Gnome platform and Mono use the right licensing terms for creating an ISV platform.

* We will continue to work on open source projects, and work in the best way to offer a complete Linux stack.

And lastly, just remember that Nat and myself are in charge of Novell's Linux Desktop Strategy, so we will do the right thing ;-)"

http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=mono-list&m=106801542003811&w=2

Nat:

"Yes, we will still support KDE on SuSE. However, we hope to use this opportunity to provide Linux developers and ISVs with a single stable platform for desktop application development."

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=84723&cid=7393279

After this anti-KDE FUD was later mirrored by similar FUD claiming that Novell will standardize on Qt, Nat told the story quite differently:

"We support development with a variety of toolkits, and our internal development is done using the right tool for the right problem. This includes Qt, Gtk, VCL, XUL and others, depending on the application."

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/11/04/1336252&tid=163&tid=143

This didn't stop him spreading other FUD later:

"We will support both the KDE and GNOME desktop environments and, from an application perspective, there will be a set of defaults that we will support: Evolution, OpenOffice and Mozilla."

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1594126,00.asp

This claim is wrong for SuSE Linux and does not really fit to the fact that Novell is working on Netware support for Kontact.

You get a distro talking about diverging from supporting two entire desktop environments, and people think the world is ending.

Where was the hem and haw when Lycoris went with KDE?

Distros are going to choose folks. Some will choose KDE and produce a great product. Some will choose GNOME and do likewise. You will have a choice. Worst case you will be able to use something like Debian or FreeBSD or another agnostic distro and install whatever freaking WM you want.

SUSE is very active in germany and I don't know much people which are using GNOME here. Also I know more people which are using Window Maker or fluxbox. KDE is here the number one and SUSE would be very stupid to set KDE in legacy mode. I have heard in the US its in the other direction. So I believe the will be support booth in the long run. Also I have the feeling that KDE is much more community driven than GNOME so its would be not that hard for KDE if the support of SUSE would be smaller.