Possibility to add gwenview, krita, kdict, and enable Java in browsers?

[Knut Yrvin]

On Wednesday 11. July 2007 15:09, Gavin McCullagh wrote:
> However, in their defense, I don't think the broad argument was "we can't
> have kde apps" but more like "we'd really prefer to have gnome versions of
> the apps".  My understanding was that the reasons were purely technical --
> having chosen gnome as their desktop, the cost of adding KDE apps was large
> on the CDROM and on hard disks due to the added weight of KDE libraries.
> You also tend to have slower start-up times and greater RAM footprints when
> you mix the two environments.

Mark Shuttleworth blocked such suggestion by stating that Edubuntu will be 
DVD-based. They included good KDE-based educational programs on Edubuntu, and 
have done so since they started. Petter and I told about the advantages to 
also distributing everything on one CD. According to Edubuntus download page 
they distributed several CD's. You can download a Desktop CD, Classrom server 
CD, and Classrom server add-on CD. 

> As far as I'm aware, every version of edubuntu so far has included the KDE
> Education apps as like you, they are thinking of the students' education
> first.

Just to be clear on what was decided and followed up by Richard Weideman and 
Ubuntu-developers. They support both KDE and Gnome based educational 
applications. Weideman also said they got huge ubuntu-based installation with 
KDE based dekstop. 

Kubuntu is installed as the default desktop in all Georgian schools. Georiga 
is a state east in Europe adjacent to the Black Sea[1]. Population is about 
4,7 million. Therefor its unwise to support only one desktop, or educational 
applications from groups of developers using just a "single" library. 
Customers expects support for both KDE and Gnome based desktop, Richard says. 
I totally agree. 

1. 
http://tech.netscape.com/story/2007/05/11/kubuntu-takes-over-georgia-ubuntu-summit-video/

Big regions and now also countries deploy KDE desktop based on kubuntu. 
> There was talk for a time initially of trying to clone the KDE apps in
> GNOME and later of trying to collaboratively port the KDE apps to GNOME
> though sadly I'm not aware of any noticeable progress on either.  

Well, there are duplication effort where Gnome developers copies Kalzium. 
Thats lead to some confusion since Kalzium has been in production a long 
time. Gnome Chemistry has some nifty new stuff with a 3D structure viewer,  
but are still in beta. This is not based on same code base at all. 

> A similar project exists with openoffice.  I think it would be great if 
> you could run lots of educational (and other) apps using either toolkit 
> but perhaps there are better value ways to spend efforts.

There are lots of reasons not providing to many choices on a desktop. Most of 
the reason are that teachers get confused by the choices, and we need to do 
some sanitation. To many applications makes teachers confused, especially 
when kids starts a lot of them at the same time, changing colours, playing 
games etc. We describes this as making sane defaults, not removing choices --  
but make the default setting reasonable. Kids often uses the desktop with 
ease when it comes to different applications. Pupils are willing to test 
tings more than teachers, and tries again when they fail. 

From a developer view different developer choose different toolkits. It's like 
programming languages. Some developers prefer C, others prefer C++, Java or 
Python. It's really difficult to decide what others should use. Instead 
effort is put into making sane defaults. Projects like Portland says that 
people can choose whatever framework they like, but here are guidelines and 
practical standards for commonalities. If you want your applications to blend 
in on different desktops, follow the LSB specification. 

Best regards

Knut Yrvin
-- 
Skolelinux project manager Norway