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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Re-writing QT?
From:       Stefan Westerfeld <stefan () space ! twc ! de>
Date:       1998-06-27 17:28:45
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   Hi!

> > [...]
> >
> >This discussion is pointless. If you want to code free-qt (from which
> >you can cut and paste), go ahead. But it'll always be behinf The
> >Original Qt, and you'll make a nightmare for KDE developers (this works
> >with FreeQT, but not with Qt and vice versa).
>
> I don't think it would be a nightmare for the KDE developers, rather for the
> cloners. Our policy is clear: We happily link our stuff to any free Qt clone if
> and only if this clone provides the functionality needed and does not pose
> legal problems (like simply copying stuff from Qt). But we will not change any
> line of KDE code in order to accomodate for deficiencies that the clone may
> have and Qt hasn't. Neither will we abstain from using new features in Qt just
> because the clone does not have them (yet).

KDE 1.2/2.0 will have a lot of great stuff:

 - CORBA support
 - a nice Office suite
 - great desktop
 - network transparcency
 - easy development
 - great look&feel
 - internationalisation

I wonder whether it would be possible - not the goal of all efforts, but
at least possible - to add another point on that list, that is as nice as
the others, but perhaps will require some work as well:

 - free (in the sense of GPL/RMS)

Neiter i18n nor CORBA integration nor network transparency work without
some restrictions in the KDE code.  But they are definitely worth it.

The following policies you mention make it very hard for harmony:

 - not changing a single line of KDE code for harmony
 - using every qt feature as soon as available
 - never accepting harmony as default for KDE

IHMO it would be really great if that annoying license problem would be
solved in KDE 1.2/2.0 and than remain solved (rather than having one stable
version of KDE which runs with harmony, the next which doesn't do it any
more, the next wich does again,...). Harmony should be _supported_ by the
KDE project. The gnome people said it wouldn't be possible to clone qt,
please don't fulfill this prophecy!

  Cu... Stefan
-- 
  -* Stefan Westerfeld, stefan@space.twc.de (PGP!), Freiburg/Germany
     KDE Developer, project infos at http://space.twc.de/~stefan/kde *-

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