I can’t find the original GNOME announcement from August 1997 in comp.os.linux.advocacy, but I did find an interesting thread on Desktop Options. My, the changes since then.
Update: As Jeff Waugh mentions in the comments, the GNOME project as a whole has not chosen to use Mono as the foundation for the project, nor is there any indication that they will. I just found it interesting to see how some things change yet other things don’t in nearly a decade.
As I recall the GNOME announcement–and as the FAQ quoted at the top of the thread indicates–there were severe questions about the redistributability of applications built with QT:
Why don’t you just use/contribute to KDE?
KDE is a nice project; they have good hackers working on it and they have done a very good job. Unfortunately, they selected the non-free Qt toolkit as the foundation for the project, which poses legal problems for those desiring to redistribute the software.
Over nine years later, is it too much irony to wonder when someone will start a new project, with a FAQ reading:
Why don’t you just use/contribute to Gnome?
Gnome is a nice project; they have good hackers working on it and they have done a very good job. Unfortunately, they selected the patent-encumbered Mono toolkit as the foundation for the project, which poses legal problems for those desiring to use the software without paying royalties to Microsoft through Novell.
Disclaimer: I use GNU/Linux, but use neither GNOME nor KDE as my desktop environment.
Why don't you use/contribute to Linux?
Linux is a nice project; they have good hackers working on it and they have done a very good job. Unfortunately, they selected the GPL as their foundation for their licenses for the project, which poses legal problems for companies.
What is this, the clueless week at oreilly?
Mono toolkit as *THE* foundation? What?
GPL poses legal problems for companies? Companies like IBM, Adobe, Nokia? Why do you think they are comfortable donating code to GPL-licenced projects? Because they know somebody else can't just take their stuff and make it closed. Compare and contrast the market sizes of Linux distros vs. BSDs.
Maybe its time for Linux users to relook and compare GNOME and KDE to see who is more GPL :-D
But... we haven't. Not by a long shot.
Plus: Please do not confuse the actions of Miguel/Novell (starting Mono, the Microsoft deal) with the actions of The GNOME Project.
Jeff, I realize that the use of Mono is contentious throughout GNOME. I just thought it was very interesting to consider how Miguel's views may have changed in eight years. Let me add a disclaimer to the post to emphasize your point.
Thanks -- the Miguel irony has not gone unnoticed in our community either. ;-) We made a commitment to avoid the "toll booth on the road to freedom" all those years ago, and it's more likely that we will make the same commitment again than require someone else to do it for us.