From:	mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca
Date:	Tue, 28 Jan 1997 06:29:13 -0500 (EST)
Reply-To:	mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca
To:	Paul Brannan <brannanp AT musc DOT edu>
cc:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: What's all the hype about OpenDOS
In-Reply-To:	<32EC2DC7.171C@musc.edu>
Message-ID:	<Pine.LNX.3.95.970128062149.251J-100000@capslock.com>
Organization:	Total disorganization.
MIME-Version:	1.0

On Sun, 26 Jan 1997, Paul Brannan wrote:

> > Anyways, FreeWin95 seems cool!
> > I see it as 2 partitions: one with LINUX and the other with freewin95.
> 
> Yeah, FreeWin95 seems cool, but what we need is a cool OS that actually 
> works.  We need it to take up less memory.  And we need it to make full 
> use of the computer's processing power.  Linux works well at this, but 
> let's face it: Linux is a joke when it comes to the end user.  Who wants 
> to fool around editing /etc/* files when they can just use the Control 
> Panel?  Now, perhaps this idea seems a little funny, but how about 
> taking Viewmax and making it the base for an OpenDOS GUI?  We can even 
> port apps to it, useful apps.  I think the only useful app that runs 
> under Viewmax is Ventura draw, or something like that.  I see some 
> potential here!

I think it would be much easier for someone to start a "Lets make
Linux easier for the end user to use" project.

This would probably mean a NEW special distribution with X, a few
window managers, an X control panel (BETTER than the dotfile
generator), a text based console control panel, common configurations
for setting up the MODEM, NULL modem, sound card, email, a dynamic PPP
link (an EASY setup like in Windblows), and other things like a
default sendmail.cf file that is set up for the most common end user
configuration (perhaps also with a control panel entry), I can think
of MANY other programs that would be cool to have also.  Anyone have
any ideas on this?  I think it would be much better than persuing a
NEW GUI in DOS.

Also, if such a project is begun for Linux, I feel that ALL programs
that are part of the project MUST be written in C period with the
possible exception of some small bash scripts.  I say this because I
think that TCL/TK programs and other shell languages are SLOW!!!!! for
this kind of thing.

Opinions/comments?

And NO I'm not volunteering to be project co-ordinator OR a programmer
for the project.  I don't have enough experience in C under UNIX to be
a candidate for such a project.



Mike A. Harris        |             http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris
Computer Consultant   |    My webpage has moved and my address has changed.
My dynamic address: http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris/ip-address.html
mailto:mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca

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