In Geekdom, there are perennial debates that carry as much weight as religious discussion: [1] Emacs versus vi, [2] Linux versus BSD, and so forth. One of these debates concerns the desktop platforms of choice. I use and prefer KDE, but GNOME has long been a favorite among Linux users for its sleek interface.

Well, now, behold:

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), the consortium dedicated to the adoption of Linux, and freedesktop.org, the open-source project focused on interoperability for X Window System desktops, announced the technology preview of the first set of common interfaces for the GNOME and KDE Linux desktops, today at LinuxWorld in Boston.

(From [3] DesktopLinux.com)

Glad tidings to be sure! As it stands, each one looks backward and ugly in the other (that is, GNOME programs called while the user is under the KDE desktop will look, well, awful), but this common API is the first step in integrating the two. I agree with those who say that the difference between the two has been hurting the conversion to Linux by mainstream Windows users: it’s too complicated to try to figure out the difference, and because there’s such a polarized opinion base on this matter, it just confuses those who might otherwise be willing to give Linux a shot.

In Geekdom, there are perennial debates that carry as much weight as religious discussion: [4] Emacs versus vi, [5] Linux versus BSD, and so forth. One of these debates concerns the desktop platforms of choice. I use and prefer KDE, but GNOME has long been a favorite among Linux users for its sleek interface.

Well, now, behold:

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), the consortium dedicated to the adoption of Linux, and freedesktop.org, the open-source project focused on interoperability for X Window System desktops, announced the technology preview of the first set of common interfaces for the GNOME and KDE Linux desktops, today at LinuxWorld in Boston.

(From [6] DesktopLinux.com)

Glad tidings to be sure! As it stands, each one looks backward and ugly in the other (that is, GNOME programs called while the user is under the KDE desktop will look, well, awful), but this common API is the first step in integrating the two. I agree with those who say that the difference between the two has been hurting the conversion to Linux by mainstream Windows users: it’s too complicated to try to figure out the difference, and because there’s such a polarized opinion base on this matter, it just confuses those who might otherwise be willing to give Linux a shot.