I'd like to know how deep is the learning curve on programming WMs and DEs or more specifically, when will I be able to develop my own modern tiling WM + DE package ?
In what direction should I expand my studies into before I start working on my project?
What do I need to master?
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>>55033929
Write a VM that has video memory that draws to a Java frame. Then implement Swing in that VM. Congrats you now have a tiling WM.
When you're so autistic that just using a WM isn't enough.
>>55033929
A WM isn't hard at all, just use the API for X provided by your language of choice and write the key handling code to call to placement and movement procedures in response to key presses and mouse events. Well, maybe it's not super easy, but it is straight forward and there's a lot of examples for you to pull from. If you can program and read docs, go for it. There's a reason there's such a proliferation of shitty tiling WMs: they're easy to make.
A DE is a WM + a lot of utilities. Definitely more complicated. Unless you're working in a team and have a specific goal, I wouldn't bother. Unless you like programming file managers/etc. in GTK/Qt.
>>55033929
I was asking the same question.
Apparently you need to know the X Window protocol and xlib to code the wm.
Luckily we have a few good examples of how to do wm, look at TinyWM, is 50 lines of code. Also dwm.
Good luck.
I know what you are thinking OP. Look no more than Motif. Lain's dad computer style based on the IRIX desktop, a descendent of Motif Window Manager.
>>55035337
And NEXStep. Therefore you could have Lain's computer with a mix of window maker and motif.
