Re: GNUstep - Windows GUI ? - Futher Explanation

[Lars Sonchocky-Helldorf]

Hi Peter,

Peter Fisla <pfisla@rogers.com> wrote on 01.03.2005 01:04:41:

> 
> "Peter Fisla" <pfisla@rogers.com> wrote in message news:aYqdncRFfs-
> t6IPfRVn-ug@rogers.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > Sorry for a stupid question; I just installed the GNUstep-base-1.
> 10.1-gui-0.9.4.exe and I'm trying
> > to figure out how to run the NeXTSTEP interface ? Can anyone tell 
> me how I can do that ?
> >
> > Thanks for your help
> >
> > Peter
> >
> 
> 
> First of all thanks Tom, Alex and Jason responding to my post.  I 
> guess I was pretty bad with the short version
> so let me try with the long one:
> 
> 1) I red an article on www.slashdot.org here is the link
>     http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?
> sid=05/02/06/1827244&tid=94&tid=117&tid=3
> 
>     about status of GNUstep and I watched the following demostration
> of application builder in action:
>     http://www.gnustep.org/experience/DevelopmentDemonstration.html
> 
> 2) I then went on www.gnustep.org and I saw the following:
> 
>     " Feb 23: GNUstep Windows installer now includes complete core 
> packages (GUI)! "
> 
>     So what excactly does this "GUI" thing means in the sentence above ?

Well that's our naming what most likely confused you a bit. GUI means GUI 
Framework, to explain that i have to go alittle bit into extend:

OpenStep, when it was specified, consisted out of two major frameworks, 
one containing all the interfaceless basic classes (the Foundation Kit, 
Kit is a common way to name frameworks in the OpenStep World) and the App 
or Application Kit Framework which contains all the classes which resemble 
a GUI for an Application (hence the name). GNUstep as an implementation of 
the OpenStep Standard keeps this scheme but extends it a bit. So we'got:

GNUstep make: GNUstep makefile system
GNUstep base: resembles the Foundation Kit
GNUstep gui : resembles the App Kit, this is what the announcement was 
about
GNUstep back: backend classes which talk to the Windowmanager etc. there 
are different backend packages which do the actual drawing on the screen

So that announce actually meant that the GNUstep gui package has now been 
build on Windows and is included in the installer. GNUstep gui is somewhat 
difficult to build on Windows because it needs some fortune to get the 
right versions of graphic libraries either build (or found as binary on 
the web) besides other small nastinesses. 

Keep in mind that this is a preview release at best since you can build 
and run not every application available. Right now we have positive 
responses for small things like Calculator.app or  GConnectFour.app. All 
the important dev apps like GORM and ProjectCenter are still in the works 
(actually the framework code is, if we got all bugs on windows hammered 
out, everything will build and run fine there).

> 
> 
> 3) I thought that by downloading the Windows installer I would be 
> able to install GNUstep base as well graphics
>     interface (desktop) and basically simulater running some 
> services of NeXTSTEP including graphics interface.
> 

One final clear up: There is a difference between OpenStep and OPENSTEP 
where OpenStep is the specification and OPENSTEP the implementation of the 
specs PLUS a fully capable desktop environment. GNUstep is an 
implementation of OpenStep and GNUSTEP (which was announced on slashdot) 
is some sort of OPENSTEP clone == the desktop environment which nearly 
everybody thinks of when talking about NEXTSTEP/OPENSTEP/GNUSTEP.

See also:

http://www.objectfarm.org/Activities/Publications/TheMerger/OpenstepConfusion.html

> Thanks Tom, I will check out http://www.gnustep.it/enrico/gworkspace/

this is included in most GNUstep desktop environment projects (yes, there 
are a few: GNUSTEP (live CD), garma, étoilé ...)

> 
> Peter 

regards, Lars