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Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

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Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#21

Post by vintagedave »

probonopd wrote: post #19
vintagedave wrote: post #8

I love this. I deeply miss the productive, well-built UX era of OSX. The screenshot shows a mix of styles. Some of it looks very old (eg the Finder analogue). Scrollbars are flat, traffic light window buttons are gel. Semi-puzzling so far in terms of UI design target. I found this: 10.2-era, pre-Brushed Metal, seems to be the target: https://github.com/orgs/gershwin-desktop/discussions/1

We are on it. The whole UI is going to be overhauled a lot. Would you like to help us get things in shape? AppearanceMetrics.h in gershwin-eau-theme is a start.

You know, I would, and I had already started looking into how to get a dev VM :)

Thankyou for the comment and polite interest, btw -- IMO an excellent way to encourage involvement in an open source project!

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#22

Post by malco_2001 »

amusings wrote: post #5
compiler-devel wrote: post #2

Nice name, I suppose it recalls Apple’s Rhapsody project.

Screenshots look like OS X 1.0 and nothing like Rhapsody. I've found the OS X aesthetics unpleasant compared to how Rhapsody looked like so it was the final straw pushing me to Windows :)

The GTK theme engine from GNUstep can also be used to set a "Rhapsody" theme. It just allows using GTK themes. Here is an example of what that looks like https://github.com/pkgdemon/screenshots/blob/main/yellowbox-... I'd also like to make a native theme for that layout at some point.

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#23

Post by malco_2001 »

linguae wrote: post #3
compiler-devel wrote: post #2

Nice name, I suppose it recalls Apple’s Rhapsody project.

Additionally, Gershwin is the name of the intended follow-up to the cancelled Copland project.

That was not intentional but just a coincidence actually. I came up with Gershwin as something to be comparable to "Darwin" as a core OS. I originally wanted to combine the Linux kernel with a Userland "familiar to switchers" more like a BSD and build on that. I also decided early on it was best to focus on being a DE that could run on anything and make the underlying OS not matter as much. Everyone involved really liked the name, so I went with it.

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#24

Post by malco_2001 »

malco_2001 wrote: post #22
amusings wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screenshots look like OS X 1.0 and nothing like Rhapsody. I've found the OS X aesthetics unpleasant compared to how Rhapsody looked like so it was the final straw pushing me to Windows :)

The GTK theme engine from GNUstep can also be used to set a "Rhapsody" theme. It just allows using GTK themes. Here is an example of what that looks like https://github.com/pkgdemon/screenshots/blob/main/yellowbox-... I'd also like to make a native theme for that layout at some point.

I currently have the WindowManager.app I am fixing up that draws native decorations with GSTheme on to X11 windows. The screenshot in the gershwin desktop repo shows the result with chromium. I am also working on a Ladybird native GNUstep port where I need to fix the toolbar, rendering issues, and get the codebase in shape for a proper PR. Then I want to start working on fixing up an existing SwiftUI bridge implementation. This would also be a welcome contribution if someone can offer to contribute before I can eventually get to it. If that doesn't happen I would like to create a a native theme for this at some point.

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#27

Post by malco_2001 »

lproven wrote: post #15
rcarmo wrote: post #13

I LOVE this. There were a few other similar projects a few years back but they all seem to have stalled - hopefully this one will keep going

> There were a few other similar projects a few years back Notably the Hello System, by Simon Peter, AKA probonopd. I looked at that, too. https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/31/hellosystem_08/ Probonopd is now involved with Gershwin and was quite active in its Github when I looked.

I am absolutely blown away to have the author of AppImage (Probono) partnering with me on a project I started that to be honest I didn't know if it would ever go anywhere. There is no better validation, and this is exactly what the spirit of creating open source solutions is all about for me. I wish I had known now years ago about GNUstep earlier. I took a path of learning FreeBSD deeper instead in 2004 when I started my career. I contributed to PCBSD as I learned programming in 2013 which eventually brought me to making FuryBSD for a short time.

When I started FuryBSD which was a livecd creator for FreeBSD that made it easy for others to spin up projects Probono noticed and started reaching out, helping me making some great contributions. It became the basis for the current GhostBSD LiveCD, HelloSystem, I believe RavynOS, and FyneDesk used it or at least were also using it in the past.

Probono blew me away with his work on LiveSTEP, and it just kind of stuck with me. I ended up silently carrying it forward, and getting back in touch after I realized what we could do with it. I recently gave Probono ownership for the GitHub org, and full creative control so I could focus on harder functional parts like a truly integrated WindowManager. It's all just been somewhat a miracle, and a matter of timing lining up I suppose. I am very much looking forward to seeing the cool things we can do together in 2026!

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#28

Post by mepian »

dustbunny wrote: post #25
Iridiumkoivu wrote: post #10

Interesting. I wonder what happened to Étoilé which was supposed to fill this niche and was chucking along fine until about 2015 or so. It got pretty far too with the underlying components.

It's called Haiku now I think

Haiku is not related to Étoilé.

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#29

Post by mepian »

Iridiumkoivu wrote: post #10

Interesting. I wonder what happened to Étoilé which was supposed to fill this niche and was chucking along fine until about 2015 or so. It got pretty far too with the underlying components.

At least one of the lead developers of Étoilé moved on to CHERI.

Re: Gershwin-desktop: OS X-like Desktop Environment based on GNUStep

#30

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

> Gershwin is a desktop environment based on GNUstep welcoming to switchers.

Might be just me, but that feels like an odd description. Assuming I'm understanding the intent correctly, perhaps something like

> Gershwin is a desktop environment based on GNUstep but made more intuitive for users coming from other desktops

might be easier to understand?

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