World: r3wp

We are porting the userspace of Desktop to Linux. My build system 
and package management are already there, including ORCA. We are 
working on porting Syllable's graphics system and desktop environment. 
It will not be based on X11

The Linux gives us stability right now, drivers and applications. 
One of those is REBOL/Core, which is included in Syllable Server

We are working on porting Syllable's graphics system and desktop 
environment. It will not be based on X11
 <--- I like it better already.

We're using DirectFB on Syllable Server and are going to put our 
own graphics system on top of that

The prototype is currently running on SDL

very nice. I like that someone finally has the guts to ditch X11.

Thanks :-)

DirectFB?

directfb.org

how are they doing on drivers and such?

Roughly the same as Syllable Desktop. In fact, some of Syllable's 
graphics drivers are ports from DirectFB instead of X11

So we won't have as much video support as X11, but we will have a 
relatively lightweight driver system to build our own stuff on

It should definitely suffice for a server

I wouldn't worry too much about driver support anyway. What I hate 
about X11 is the complexity and how easy it is to knock over. I encounter 
many people who move away from Ubuntu and back to Windows simply 
because X11 screws up its own configuration.

so DirectFB is reliable and simple to work with?

We hope so :-)

It's rather unknown, but used quite a bit in embedded systems

There were a few ancient Linux distros using it, but we will bring 
it to the desktop/server again

The operating system for the Palm Folio that was recently cancelled 
used it the same way we are going to

Word was it performed extraordinarily

a shame it was cancelled

Yes, a law of computing, it seems. Any interesting graphics system 
will be shot down

Kaj, ok got it.

Why not use the Desktop kernel for the server as well?

I mean, on the server I just need a text interface and no GUI frills. 
Just lean and mean machine.

We've been doing that for the past half decade, and we have not achieved 
a breakthrough yet

It takes longer to get stability and apps, especially for server 
requirements. And we are not going to design our kernel for server 
requirements, because it is optimised for desktop

Syllable Desktop doesn't have a text-only mode. It's really a desktop 
system, and Linux is really a server system

Other considerations include that systems such as Amazon EC2 run 
on Linux, not our own kernel

OK, we beat REBOL 3 to the release

I give you Syllable Desktop 0.6.5:

http://osnews.com/story.php/19126/Syllable-Desktop-0.6.5-Released

It has improvements all over. One of them is a new ORCA version

If you want to know more about it, I wrote a new introduction document:

http://web.syllable.org/pages/about.html

Kaj, who's working on ORCA these days?

Karl is making fixes and small enhancements every once in a while, 
and I am making package releases

Congrats Kaj.

Thanks

hehe, Kaj ... just by few hours? :-) R3 is supposedly to be released 
today :-)

There can be only one winner ;-)

And we released last night. Sorry, but I had to sleep before thinking 
of you guys

Linux's year on the desktop http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=260&tag=nl.e590

Well, yeah, like the previous seven years or so...

But have a look here:

http://web.syllable.org/pages/about.html#technology

By the way, OLPC is now working with Microsoft to get Windows XP 
on their laptop, and they're so pleased with it because it is so 
much faster than they could get their Red Hat Linux to work in several 
years of development

Of course, the memory needs to be doubled to get XP on it in the 
first place... After they already doubled the main memory and upgraded 
the processor to get their Linux to run

So now their sales pitch is: here is a unique machine with unique 
software that is good for your kids. It's open source, so it's superior. 
It's just that it's very slow, so you can also choose to boot it 
in this Windows thing. The special kid's environment and all the 
special driver software isn't there, but at least it isn't slow as 
molasses. Oh, we doubled the price of the machine, and to run this 
Windows thing you also have to buy and install this extra memory 
upgrade

Train wreck, anyone?