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Re: [MiNT] [2] Thing bug - is Gryf listening



> forcing them to write a new desktop from scratch - which, in the end, is
> probably same as quiting the platform immediately (considering the
> amount of work that has to go into a good desktop like Thing currently
> is).

You are damn right, Petr, when you say that developing a desktop like 
Thing needs an incredible amount of work. However, I have an idea - 
which is not really mine but I haven't seen it discussed here, while I 
think it is worth at least to be mentioned.

In my opinion, /bin/ is the place where almost every possible code, 
that a desktop needs, resides. I mean, there is no real need to write 
new code for reading and formatting the directory for a desktop, when 
there is ls. There is no need for a desktop to contain code for copying 
files, when there is cp. And there is no need for new code moving 
or renaming, when there is mv. And so on.

The desktop must "just" (quotes are because it is easy to say rather 
than to do) be able to execute programs and handle its windows properly 
- including drag&drop protocol, and including window 0, i.e. the place 
where you have icons. For other functions (read dir, copy file, move 
something, make directory etc.) it would be a question of executing the 
proper program in /bin and parse the output.

This way has many advantages, which the biggest one is that the desktop 
itself is never blocked doing something - since it just starts new 
processes. The other is mentioned above - many of the code is already 
written and proven bugfree. And there are probably lower memory 
requirements, since not all of the code resides in the RAM all the time.

Thoughts?

CVV

--
Konrad M.Kokoszkiewicz
draco@atari.org                             http://draco.atari.org

* Ea natura multitudinis est:  *  Taka to już natura pospólstwa: *
* aut seruit humiliter,        *    albo służalczo się płaszczy, *
* aut superbe dominatur.       *        albo bezczelnie panoszy. *
                     (T. Liuius XXIV, 25)