LWN: Comments on "Linux moves towards unified APIs (IT Week)"

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

job — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 12:53:02 +0000

This case is a bit harder because what the customers/consumers want short time is not what they want long time. Most users would kill for nvidias non-free driver to be included in Linus' kernel. Ironically, this would also kill the Linux kernel, which is not what they want. These things are complicated.

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

lysse — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:29:01 +0000

"IMO (as a professional dev) the only reason software exists is for the users."

Isn't that precisely what separates amateur efforts (a category which includes volunteer projects) from professional endeavours? Even in the professional world, where does "if we build it, they will come" fit into that philosophy?

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

beoba — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 03:59:33 +0000

One of the bonuses of coding on a volunteer basis is that you are your own customer.

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

mrshiny — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:57:16 +0000

I may be opening up a can of worms by replying to you, but suffice to say that not all Linux users are convinced that Greg KH is right about this. He may be a smart guy, but what's best for the kernel devs is not always what's best for the users. And IMO (as a professional dev) the only reason software exists is for the users. I could go on but it's offtopic.

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

flewellyn — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:44:29 +0000

One exists. It's called the system call layer. Any userspace program that uses a given system call is guaranteed that system call will work on any future kernel version.

Oh, did you mean a stable internal, kernel-space API? You don't want that. Greg KH wrote a very comprehensive blog post on why you don't want that. Rather than rehash what he said, I'll just link to it.

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

NapalmLlama — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:08:55 +0000

Indeed - a stable API for the kernel would be wonderful...

Too vague

jag — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 06:33:52 +0000

That second link's text should read http://www.portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/ (note that the href is correct).

Too vague

drag — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 04:46:03 +0000

Also keep in mind that Freedesktop.org is a place to work on new specifications and standards. It doesn't realy ratify anything or add any significance beyond that.

It isn't until you see some real world examples of Freedesktop.org specifications and get proven then they are added to things like the LSB which is suppose to make them 'real' standards.

At least that is the idea.

I realy like the idea of Portland though. I hope it realy takes hold and allows you to get some tighter integration of GTK apps into KDE and visa versa... As well as other types of applications.

Too vague

proski — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 01:17:43 +0000

Thanks! The link in the article is wrong, as it points to the freedesktop.org wiki. As it turns out, http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/ and http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/ are completely different pages that don't even link to each other. The later doesn't even contain the name "Portland" anywhere!

Apparently, IT Week should learn to check their links. On the other hand, the Portland project should reclaim www.portland.freedesktop.org from freedesktop.org to use this opportunity.

Too vague

einstein — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:13:35 +0000

> What's the name of the specification? Where can I download it? Is it described anywhere? Are there working implementations? What programming languages are supported? Why is the Portland Project website silent about the release?

http://portland.freedesktop.org/wiki/Project

Too vague

proski — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 23:12:28 +0000

What's the name of the specification? Where can I download it? Is it described anywhere? Are there working implementations? What programming languages are supported? Why is the Portland Project website silent about the release?

Desktop Linux moves towards unified API

rvfh — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 20:48:19 +0000

Not the kernel: the DEs (Gnome and KDE)