Guillaume Maillard Column

G u i l l a u m e M a i l l a r d
C o l u m n :: Team leader point of view

››» Transfer of Power
[December-21-2003]

A bit of history for people who knew us this year: When BlueEyedOS started, it's name was 'BlueOS', it began before any BeOS clone (about 2 months before OpenBeOS). I quickly did the first bricks (the Kernel part and the first version of the app_server). At this time, we were about 10 active (I mean coding) members. Some months later, OpenBeOS became more mediatic and some technical points of BlueOS were discussed (mainly the use of XFree). The development continued under the name of BlueEyedOS (codename B.E.OS), a new website, some new members, and new milestones reached. A new app_server, new kits closed to completion.

Today we have:
. a well working Kernel Kit (and an kernel_server);
. an operational app_server, it covers about 95% of our needs. The X11 rendering part is done, the native one is still stuck in the hands of Tobe who never found time to finish it these last 6 months;
. a 3/4 done Interface Kit;
. a Storage Kit which has deep lack (BRessources support) and that was never well polished and tested;
. a Network Kit which is still closed to completion (about 90%);
. no Media Kit (except a possible reuse of the OpenBeOS one, interfaced with a media_server which use Alsa);
. a compiled OpenTracker without modifications (except compilation fix, mainly due to the use of gcc3), it compiles but can't be linked. I reduced the list of missing symbols to 61.

If we were still 10 active coder, I could say that we could release something usable with a working OpenTracker.

Everywhere people seems to say that linux is ready for the desktop. For me it isn't. Linux need something different and to stop always copy Windows, MacOS, or Unix stuffs. BeOS tried to be different, it was a success in term of usability and performance (in 1998, not today, of course).

Happy Christmas! We switch to a LGPL license (and pass the "leadership" to someone else if needed). All I really want is to be able to boot under B.E.OS v1 (and not v0.34.65a), I don't care about leadership.

Past Columns:

[December-21-2003]
Transfer of Power

[March-27-2003]
Precise Goal