structure of kde cvs modules, was Re: libkipi in kdesupport

[Cristian Tibirna]

On Wednesday 17 March 2004 09:37, Rob Kaper wrote:
>
> The suggestions in this thread are completely the opposite of what KDE used
> to stand for.

Well, not "the opposite", but yes, this is the idea. "What KDE used to stand 
for" isn't exactly what happens right now. This requires adaptation. And the 
whole process is called evolution.

> Every single time we make a component or application optional, we remove a
> layer of functionality from KDE. 

Hmm? Nobody suggested making functionality optional. But, as very well 
stressed in this thread, while the whole KDE CVS contains two kinds of 
functionality: 1) essential desktop; 2) high level/quality apps (but 
non-essential), these are intermixed and difficult to 
follow/develop/package/select (at least more difficult than what would be if 
rearanged).

> What this proposal amounts to is to turn  
> KDE into a widget set that happens to be used by a HTML library and that
> happens to have applicationThis and applicationThat.

Not at all. Your impression is probably skewed by selective reading...

> We'd be back in 1996.

Well, going "back to 1996", in one very precise sense,  would bring 
consistency and more appeal for external developers.  That is, revisit the 
idea of the essential desktop, as accomplished around 1999. And this would 
require regrouping essential desktop libs and apps into two packages (libs 
package and essential apps package). Then give some best suited organisation 
to what remains (this would include PIM, IM, 3D, higher-level multimedia, 
complex games etc.).

> KDE is not just "kdecorelibs" and "kdeapplibs". The KIO slaves, KHTML,
> Kicker, Kicker, the application modules: they're all equally part of KDE.

Well, _this_ is the central issue. IMO, all applications developed with KDE 
framework and obeying KDE guidelines deserve to be _equally_ part of the KDE 
application collection. Right now, this is not so because of the perceived 
stratification in "apps resident in KDE's official CVS" and "others". IMHO, 
we would become much stronger if we would fix this.

-- 
Cristian Tibirna
KDE developer .. tibirna at kde.org .. http://www.kde.org