Re: newbies would have a lot of questions with gnustep environment

[Riccardo Mottola]

Hi,

Hello. I just started to try GNUStep as an ordinary usre and my head is
suddenly full of questions that doesn't seems to be obviously available on
the Internet or manual.

* How can I hide the .dot files in open document dialgue?
    

Install SystemPreferences and check all the options there, there'll be one
for hide dot files.

  

Exact.
SystemPreferences -> FileSystem -> Hide dot files.

* remote X11 connection seems slow using GNUStep applications, does it talk
to X Server more than those made using other widgets (gtk or qt)? If so, is
video hardware performance a key factor for display of GNUStep
applications?
    

I'm hoping Riccardo or one of the Etoile guys (can't remember which one)
will chime in to answer this question since they're the ones that run remote
X.

  

Well, if you use remote display, I really advise you to use the xlib backend instead of the art one. Unfortunately a lot of people seem to have an itch when talking about xlib and I don't think it is packaged in debian.
When you use the art or the cairo backend, essentially you are shoveling bitmaps over your network...
Xlib is quite faster over the network, but not as fat as it could be, that has been discussed in the past but not fixed.

* the GWorkspace user's guide recommend launching application using file
viewer by entering "System/Applications", which doesn't exist on my Debian.
How can I start an application using GUI? Currently I start everything from
Terminal.
    

I can't remember where Debian puts all the apps, but check the
/usr/lib/GNUstep/ directory.

  

Well, I personally start applications in two ways:
either directly from GWorkspace file viewers or from GWorkspace's TabbedShelf. You can also use the GWorkspace dock. (Windowmaker dock works too, but you need to be creful to set your paths correclty before starting WindowMaker...)

Most often though i open stuff from the documents. GNUstep is document oriented, so you can start from there. E.g. double-click on your image to open the image viewer, on thr RTF file to open Ink, etc.

* how can I start non-GNUStep applications, like GIMP? They seems not have
a
shortcut in "System/Applications" when I read the Gworkspace manual;
    

I think there's a wrapper package in Debian, but I might be wrong.  If not,
download the GWorkspace sources and check in there, it comes with some
wrappers for most packages.  Obviously this is not a problem if you're using
the WM dock and desktop.

  

Non-gnustep applications in a "NeXT" way, so to behave like GNUstep apps,  be present as app bundles, open documents, you need app wrappers.
Basically small shell-written applications which are a complete bundle and which shell out to call your foreign application. They are maintained in GWorkspace and easy to modify. I don't know how debian pacgakes them though.

* how do you usually doc shortcut to applications? I too easily used up all
space on left & right edge because of the big icons. There seems just no
space for everything like shortcuts (docked icon perhaps), dock of
GWorkspace, menus, window list (on lower-left edjge) and applets (like
aclock) when I added just as half as much things I added to gnome;
    

There's always WindowMaker's clip and GWorkspace's Fiend (check Tools
menu).  WM's clip works way better.

  

Well, that is taste. People overfill apple's dock on 30" monitors even if it is resizeable. That is not my way. I put the most important stuff in the TabbedShelf of GWorkspace. For the rest I either start form the Document or I use /Applications

* there are only a few people on freenode.net #gnustep, where do people
usually talk about it?
    

I very rarely show up at #gnustep and only check mailing list.  I would
guess between those two you're pretty set.

  

if I have time I an on #gnustep and on #gap, but our channels are not too active. Timezone problems and most of us have day-jobs.

ALSO:  Take a look at Etoile, it's a desktop environment based on GNUstep...
these guys are doing some great work: www.etoileos.org

  

I'd check our our Wiki and check out our apps.
And also check out gap.nongnu.org  (well... I'm biased here)

Riccardo