We plan to release DP1 of GenSTEP within a month. Dubbed "Black", DP1 will be little more than Komodo Core with GNUstep built on top. Instead of GNUstep being built into /usr/System/Library, it will be installed in /System/Library... where it SHOULD be.
Black will focus on getting an actual working release of GNUstep out to developers. It won't be anything especially unique from a basic build of GNUstep. Don't expect it to look like the GNUstep Live CD, though. No stupid bubblefishymon to suck down CPU cycles.
Black will most likely be distributed at first as simply an installer ISO, with a Devkit ISO following quickly.
http://jimmyjames.sytes.net/media/blackpaper.jpg Following Black will be three more DPs. Lava, Jade, and Ruby. The Public Preview will follow hopefully not long after Ruby.
Lava will focus on desktop integration. Modifications will be made to the GNUstep Dock to bring it into compliance with the true STEP dock (the top tile will no longer display an Info panel, but will instead, serve to bring GWorkspace to the front). Additional user apps will be included with Lava, as well as better integration with Komodo and its native APIs Marble (C#) and Granite (C++).
Jade will begin to finalize the GenSTEP featureset. By this point, we hope to be nearing completion of our native admin apps. Jade should see the addition of the GenSTEP Applications ISO to the now 3-disc set (only Disc 1 is required for an OS install).
Ruby will see the finalization of the core OS and changes to GNUstep in preparation for the Public Preview.
What we need...
We still need some programming talent. If anybody has experience with Objective-C and OpenStep YellowBox or Cocoa, please visit our site...
http://cthulos.sourceforge.net We need...
A native browser. I already plan on contacting Omni Group and asking if they would be interested in porting their OmniWeb browser. However, a good OSS web browser for Cocoa to match GNUMail would be great.
Native IM client. Fire might be able to fill this void. I'll be in touch with Fire's devs to see if they'll port!
A GNUstep Java layer. It would be nice if Java apps could take advantage of the GNUstep UI frontend. A possible name: STEP in Time (named for the Java "Just In Time" compiler)
GenSTEP Multimedia. A full multimedia layer. Komodo supplies MediaKit, but it's availiable through the Granite and Marble APIs, and at the moment, not open natively to the GNUstep layer. We'd like to have our own multimedia framework.
Edit: Komodo's MediaKit WILL work through Objective-C and GNUstep. We DON'T need this multimedia layer.
GenAPPS. Our take on the "iApps". Four core apps... Graphics, MP3, Video Editing, Word Processor. Useful apps that will let a GenSTEP user GET STARTED IMMEDIATELY.
This is our plan. We'd love your support.
[ March 25, 2004: Message edited by: JimmyJames: GenSTEP Founder ]
