OStatic

Compiz, the project that brought spectacular desktop effects to Linux, acknowledged earlier this year it was grappling with organizational difficulties. Kristian Lyngstol, a long-time Compiz developer, said in a passionate but level-headed post to the development list that the project faced a grim future if it continued on its present path. Lyngstol proposed that strong leadership, and a clearly defined roadmap would retain existing developers, make the development process simpler, and even attract new developers.

Lyngstol said it would still be a rough ride, but that this would give the project a fighting chance. This week, after much discussion and numerous conference calls, an official statement was issued detailing where Compiz would move next. While the newly formed council predicts the 0.9 release will still be quite volatile, and the roadmap is subject to some change, its focus now is to maintain and improve the project's overall health.

In Friday's OStatic Buffer Overflow, Sam linked to a Phoronix write up on Compiz's uncertain future.

Compiz, the project that brought eye-candy to Linux (with effects ranging from useful to breathtakingly beautiful to why would I want to do that? ), has been in trouble for some time. It's not yet had a stable release, though it has branched (and merged) several times.

If it's confusing for an end-user to figure out what branch of Compiz they're using, think about developing when branches and re-merges fly out of nowhere, like flames behind a mouse pointer, forcing code re-writes (or rendering months of work useless).

Kristian Lyngstol, a Compiz developer, says while the current situation is rather dark, it is not without hope. He doesn't sugarcoat the situation, and proposes what's next for project survival. Maybe not exciting, but his statements are precisely why Compiz still has a fighting chance.

Top tips for GIMP, Gmail, Linux, and GNOME.....and more tips here....

12 handy tips for Linux-based netbooks.....and more here...

How to use a G1 Android handset as a wireless mouse and keyboard...

The future of Compiz in question.....

Google's Microsoft-esque landgrab for IE's market share.....

I've been doing some thinking since writing about kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman's statement that Linux supports more devices than any other operating system. Readers made some good comments, and after some time spent wrestling with my (yes, supported) webcam, I can venture an additional suggestion as to why it doesn't always seem that way, beyond Kroah-Hartman's theory of a non-supported device becoming personal.

In the case of my webcam, and in the case of one commenter, it seems the problem isn't necessarily the device driver. At lower levels, the drivers work. It's the layers of programming, interaction, and demand piled on the driver that makes the device feel broken. It is difficult to tell for sure, though, exactly what is causing that break.