Lycoris has announced that the upcoming release Desktop/LX 1.4 will include a new application environment called AI2. AI2 is designed to bridge the gap between the Linux operating system and third-party applications. In related news, the Desktop/LX 1.4 release date has slipped to August 16.
Lycoris Announces New Application Environment for Desktop/LX
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Eugenia Loli
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This AI2 thing is an interesting idea – pretty comprehensive integration without source code changes. However, it doesn’t address binary compatibility problems, although for closed source apps – which this is aimed at – this often isn’t much of an issue because they internalise as many dependencies as possible.
The real problem is that it isn’t portable: it only works on Desktop/LX, and Lycoris have no plans to port it to other distros. So there’s still no convincing argument for vendors to choose Lycoris over another provider, given their minimal (and shrinking) market share.
If Lycoris were smart and if they want to have a chance of success, they would get other distributions onboard.
When customers install a third-party application on Desktop/LX, the AI2 system calls its software recognizers and automatically detects the new software. AI2 then optimally configures their Desktop/LX system the next time they log in
Next time they log in? Why not right away. If I install an application I want to see menu entries appear right away, not have to log out and back in again.
From what I understand, the way it detects the new app is by running a detection script. Therefore it makes the most sense to have to do this at login time – otherwise you’d have the darn thing running in the background and constantly searching for new apps.
Windows users are used to this sort of thing after installing apps; I don’t think it’s a big deal.
“Windows users are used to this sort of thing after installing apps; I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
And next we will have to reboot after ever app install.
You’ve got to remember who they’re targeting – Windows users. They will think that logging out and then back in again is way better than actually having to reboot
You’ve got to remember who they’re targeting – Windows users. They will think that logging out and then back in again is way better than actually having to reboot
On a KDE desktop, it would probably take longer for me to log out and then back in than it would to reboot a Windows box. And anwyay, it isn’t every often that I have to reboot Windows anymore, except when installing certain apps and most windows updates.
“On a KDE desktop, it would probably take longer for me to log out and then back in than it would to reboot a Windows box. And anwyay, it isn’t every often that I have to reboot Windows anymore, except when installing certain apps and most windows updates.”
You must have a seriously misconfigured system if it takes longer to log in to KDE then it does to reboot a windows system. Sorry, I can’t buy that.
Hey Jason – I don’t know why you’re b*tching that they should port it to other distros, you said yourself at the IRC conference that you wouldn’t share it. Also, Joseph explained why they wouldn’t. It would not work correctly with other distributions because of features that Lycoris has (such as their hardware scripts/My Linux System). It is opensource, although not freely distributable. I personally wouldn’t share it with other distros like you said, why should you? I don’t think they’ve shared *directly* to you.
You’re right. It takes me WAY less time to reload KDE that to boot Windows. It takes probably much more than 3x more.
Well, indeed I wouldn’t, but it still reduces the impact of the overall system.
Read the whitepaper, it’s much more informative. It shows how they have integrated Win4Lin with the OS – it’s actually pretty cool. http://www.lycoris.com/products/desktoplx/ai2/whitepaper.php
“You’re right. It takes me WAY less time to reload KDE that to boot Windows. It takes probably much more than 3x more.”
1) Well, compared to what version? XP boots rather slow IMO but Win95 is pretty fast indeed.
2) This certainly contradicts my own observations (without hard numbers) because a computer which used to run XP runs KDE now.
3) It depends on what you’re running. If you’re running applications in XP you’ll have to close them; in KDE you can save your current session and continue the next time exactly as before.
4) The compare is also flawed on other aspects. If you boot up XP, and you immediately log in, the computer is not fully booted yet! This is because services are still starting. KDE doesn’t allow this, in KDE you’ll have to wait till everything is started up!
5) Another aspect is C vs C++ whereas you can use prelinking for C++ binaries (QT, KDE) which boosts the speed.
I’d like to see some real benchmarks on multiple a number of different computers.
(Sorry for the dual post)
Comparing a Live CD versus an OS running on a HDD or CF is also kinda uhm.. biased?
All nice and dandy, but I want to see if they can come up with quick and easy supprt with the as-yet to ship Lycoris for IPAQs. Mine is currently unsupported by Familiar but for full and easy sync support AND ease of installation I wouldn’t mind paying a little.
…but not enough to buy it. I’d rather run slack or even fedora without their app detection. With a full Slackware install or Fedora (or whatever your favorite flavor of FREE linux – hell donate $10 to buy the CDs if you want) you get everything you want or need. AND you can use GNOME.
Mike
is this kind of like how MacOS X ran older Mac applications in “Classic” mode? If not, i have been wondering why someone doesn’t try to do that kind of thing now…
Win4Lin already integrates with the Linux filesystem. It would be awesome if you could run just single windows apps within Linux by having them start a “windows” mode in the background, instead of actually seeing the whole desktop in a window.
this could very well do that, and from some of the screenshots it might! anybody have a definite answer on this?
is this kind of like how MacOS X ran older Mac applications in “Classic” mode? If not, i have been wondering why someone doesn’t try to do that kind of thing now…
I don’t think so, I think its more like the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit. It makes cranky Linux programs work better with (Lycoris) Linux.
Win4Lin already integrates with the Linux filesystem.
Yes, but it’s poorly done. Check out the section on filesystem integration in the whitepaper. For me, this was the coolest thing on offer.
It would be awesome if you could run just single windows apps within Linux by having them start a “windows” mode in the background, instead of actually seeing the whole desktop in a window.
this could very well do that, and from some of the screenshots it might! anybody have a definite answer on this?
I think that would require code changes to Win4Lin itself, so no. AI2 is all scripting AFAIK.
“Win4Lin already integrates with the Linux filesystem.
Yes, but it’s poorly done. Check out the section on filesystem integration in the whitepaper. For me, this was the coolest thing on offer. ”
Yes AI2 does this in a cool way -> BUT its not the first solution in this way. Have look ad ION (based on Xandros plus modifcations exactly in that direction)
http://www.elementcomputer.com/
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=7012