CDE for Slackware on the horizon?
 

I realize this is very recent, but after waiting many years the code for CDE - the Common Desktop Environment - has finally been open-sourced. I hope someone here can manage to get it working on slacky. The main problem appears to be lesstif. CDE wants motif instead, but let's keep fingers crossed that a solution to this problem is forthcoming in the near future :)

I think it will need some time: it has just been released and seems a lot of stuff is cooking on its mailing list

http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/f...sktopenv-devel

You have to remove lesstif and install openmotif as it doesn't compile with lesstif. After that, it compiles without problems. As I'm following the #cde and the mailing list, it doesn't work on -current 64bit yet. I managed to compile it and start it up on Slackware 13.37 32bit, but there is an error just after logging in, you can see the desktop env but you cannot do something than clicking ok on the error window and it logs you out then. I wasn't able to find out yet what's the problem. But heavy patching is going on from very active developers, so if you want to try out you should pull from the git tree.

:hattip:

WOW, this is cool news. I was very fond of CDE back in my working days. I may have to give this some time in a virtual machine. The memories are flooding in.... :)

Was CDE the default desktop in old slackware versions back when it was distributed as floppies (like 1994)? I think I saw this before. It has all "motif" style widgets, big chunky window borders in bright colors like magenta or cyan. I think it was CDE. I was more noob than now, so I'm not sure. I had slackware installed on a 80MB hard drive from the floppies. Then, I think KDE 1.0 came after?

May be you are thinking of FVWM. I think it was the default at some point, but I could easily be wrong about that. This would make an interesting table: default Slackware window manager by release.

What a horrible UI you are describing? CDE is beautiful, specially I liked the AIX color theme:
http://vermaden.deviantart.com/art/F...-6-1-145634707

That might have been it :)

Open Look Virtual Window Manager

CDE is a bit aged of a desktop environment to really show itself well against more modern DEs. I'd dare say it could be assigned to SlackBuilds.org, but not included with the OS.

Of course it is. It was developed between 1993 and 1999.

But would be great if somebody with more knowledge than me could take part in resolving the issues. I have found my limits already without getting it running fully functional...

My demands for a DE: possibility to launch apps, switch between running apps, lookup clock and calendar (just for dates not events or anything schedule related). Thats all I ask. If there is a possibility to choose between virtual desktops then that is already more than I can ask for. So for me CDE would fit perfectly.

What are your demands for DE?

basically what xfce offers
:)

The same as you describe. That's why I'm trying. Plus there is a certain nostalgic feeling about it as I worked with CDE for around 7 years or so.

Getting CDE modernized would take a monumental effort, but I'd support the cause if it could be done.