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[Liam Proven]

2009/1/14 Florian Diesch <diesch at spamfence.net>:
> "Liam Proven" <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 2009/1/14 Florian Diesch <diesch at spamfence.net>:
>>> "Liam Proven" <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't much like Evolution as an email client, but I can't simply
>>>
>>> "Evolution provides integrated mail, addressbook and calendaring
>>> functionality to users of the GNOME desktop."
>>>
>>>> remove it all, because components ranging as deep as the GNOME Panel
>>>> itself depend on it. Why? I can understand why one or 2 components
>>>
>>> The GNOME panel depends on some libs like libedataserver-1.2.so.11 and
>>> libecal-1.2.so.7 as the clock applet needs the calendaring
>>> functionality of Evolution.
>>>
>>> But you can remove the package evolution that contains the email
>>> client.
>>
>> Yes, I know. I do this sometimes if I am pushed for space on / (e.g.
>> when it is a 4GB SSD), or sometimes if Evolution annoys me by
>> launching when I do something. (My email client of choice is
>> Thunderbird and has been since v1.0).
>>
>> What I am questioning is the wisdom of tying a desktop to a mail
>> program. That seems very unwise and unnecessary to me.
>
> Evolution is not only a email client, but provides integrated mail,
> addressbook and calendaring functionality. You can remove the email
> client wiothout any problems, but the libraries that implement the
> addressbook and calendaring functionality are used by other programs,
> too. Providing such infrastructure for common tasks is what a desktop
> environment is about.

A desktop is about file and program management, primarily, and
secondarily, about administrative functions. It seems to me that an
email MUA, contact manager or diary program are the domains of
/applications/ and that it is an error to tie a Free, open desktop
environment to specific applications - ones which were originally
third-party apps at that.

I would find it just as wrong were GNOME to depend on Epiphany, say,
or Empathy. It's the user's choice what apps they wish to use.

Tying the desktop into specific apps is a mistake. Free software,
especially Linux, is about freedom of choice. One is not free to use
Gnome without elements of Evolution being installed. If this is not in
fact the case, then something is incorrect in Ubuntu's dependencies,
because the GNOME panel itself depends on an Evolution component.


-- 
Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
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