GNOME & KDE Developers Go To Battle Over A Name

[phoronix]

Phoronix: GNOME & KDE Developers Go To Battle Over A Name

Ahead of the Berlin Desktop Summit, several GNOME and KDE developers have begun a mailing list battle...over a name. In particular, that with GNOME 3.0 their control panel areas is called "System Settings", which is precisely what the KDE developers call their system control area too...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=OTY5OQ

[fabioamd87]

MY PROPOSAL: make an universal tool for configure system.

[Awesomeness]

MY PROPOSAL: make an universal tool for configure system.

It exists and it's called YaST but that doesn't change the fact that GNOME used a name that was already taken. KDE’s System Settings exists since years and I don't even get what was wrong with the old Control Center name.

[deanjo]

It exists and it's called YaST but that doesn't change the fact that GNOME used a name that was already taken. KDE’s System Settings exists since years and I don't even get what was wrong with the old Control Center name.

Not really. YaST is for systemwide administration not for desktop specific settings.

[markg85]

My proposal as posted on the list:

Just a small suggestion on how i think this should be "fixed" (since 2
desktop files for one app seems just ugly to me).
Perhaps it's better to extend the desktop file specification:
http://standards.freedesktop.org/des...t/ar01s05.html

And i would propose adding 2 entries:
NativeDE - This one holds the desktop environment name where the app
would be "native". So GNOME, KDE or whatever.
NameNonNative - This one holds the app name when it's shown in a
desktop environment that is not native. When not set fallback to
"Name"

So for example the "System Settings" app in KDE looks somewhat like
this in a .desktop file:

Name=System Settings
NativeDE=KDE
NameNonNative=KDE System Settings

The same applies for gnome system settings and also for the system
monitor (that also has the naming issue)
Isn't this a good solution?

Regards,
Mark

[plonoma]

My proposal as posted on the list:

ust a small suggestion on how i think this should be "fixed" (since 2
desktop files for one app seems just ugly to me).
Perhaps it's better to extend the desktop file specification:
http://standards.freedesktop.org/des...t/ar01s05.html

And i would propose adding 2 entries:
NativeDE - This one holds the desktop environment name where the app
would be "native". So GNOME, KDE or whatever.
NameNonNative - This one holds the app name when it's shown in a
desktop environment that is not native. When not set fallback to
"Name"

So for example the "System Settings" app in KDE looks somewhat like
this in a .desktop file:

Name=System Settings
NativeDE=KDE
NameNonNative=KDE System Settings

The same applies for gnome system settings and also for the system
monitor (that also has the naming issue)
Isn't this a good solution?

Regards,
Mark

I second this.

And seriously.
KDE should call their system settings
KDE System Settings
and Gnome should call their system settings
GNOME System Settings

This is what namespaces are for.

[RealNC]

Not really. YaST is for systemwide administration not for desktop specific settings.

Well, "System Settings" suggests system wide administration. IMO, both KDE and Gnome chose a poor name. It should be "Desktop Environment Settings".

[mistvieh]

Well, "System Settings" suggests system wide administration. IMO, both KDE and Gnome chose a poor name. It should be "Desktop Environment Settings".

Exactly my opinion.
+1

[dfx.]

Well, "System Settings" suggests system wide administration. IMO, both KDE and Gnome chose a poor name. It should be "Desktop Environment Settings".

+1
i find the name "System Settings" for DE config misleading and maliciously idiotic. unless it does real system-wide configuration it has no business be named like that.
they should call both as "<DE> bells-and-whistles configuration tool", the assholes.

[Awesomeness]

Well, "System Settings" suggests system wide administration. IMO, both KDE and Gnome chose a poor name. It should be "Desktop Environment Settings".

Too bad, you got it wrong. KDE System Settings can configure the system. In fact it can configure anything for which a KCM is available. Heck, even KPackageKit hooks into KDE System Settings for software management if it's installed.