I wonder what really is driving these changes!!!

[MoonRise]

Could it be a MONO revolt? :D

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/canonical-and-shuttleworth-add-qt-to-ubuntu-linux/8102?tag=nl.e539

[blobfish]

Qubuntu? :P

[JontheEchidna]

Honestly I think that Shuttlework has simply seen the momentum behind Qt and the stagnation behind GTK+/GNOME. With this, they get the benefits of good Qt apps in the short run, and have the start of a Qt platform as a contingency against the further decline of GTK+.

[Rog131]

> About Unity (http://unity.ubuntu.com/about/):

Founded in 2010, the Unity project started by Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical has gone on to deliver a consistent user experience for desktop and netbook users alike...

=> Unity 2D Launcher (http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/unity-2d-launcher)

The Unity 2D launcher displays a list of running applications as well as a list of favorite applications in a panel at the left of the screen. Notifications from individual applications are also highlighted in the launcher. :


depends:

libqt4-dbus (>= 4:4.6.1)
Qt 4 D-Bus module

libqt4-declarative (>= 4:4.7.0~rc1)
Qt 4 Declarative module

libqtbamf1
Qt binding and QML plugin for bamf - shared library

libqtcore4 (>= 4:4.7.0~beta1)
Qt 4 core module

libqtdee1
Qt binding and QML plugin for Dee - shared library

libqtgconf1
Qt binding and QML plugin for GConf - shared library

libqtgui4 (>= 4:4.6.1)
Qt 4 GUI module
..



More >Natty Narwhal Testing and Discussion (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=394)>> 2d Unity Based on QT (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1668156)

[MoonRise]

=> Unity 2D Launcher (http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/unity-2d-launcher)

The Unity 2D launcher displays a list of running applications as well as a list of favorite applications in a panel at the left of the screen. Notifications from individual applications are also highlighted in the launcher. :


depends:

libqt4-dbus (>= 4:4.6.1)
Qt 4 D-Bus module

libqt4-declarative (>= 4:4.7.0~rc1)
Qt 4 Declarative module

libqtbamf1
Qt binding and QML plugin for bamf - shared library

libqtcore4 (>= 4:4.7.0~beta1)
Qt 4 core module

libqtdee1
Qt binding and QML plugin for Dee - shared library

libqtgconf1
Qt binding and QML plugin for GConf - shared library

libqtgui4 (>= 4:4.6.1)
Qt 4 GUI module
..



More >Natty Narwhal Testing and Discussion (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=394)>> 2d Unity Based on QT (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1668156)



Ahhhh, the dependencies! That makes sense. So it would seem to me then that GTK is kind of on the slide since what they chose as a Desktop system seems reliant on QT regardless that it isn't KDE. I still wonder if it is a MONO related issue?

[JontheEchidna]

I really doubt it has anything to do with Mono. I don't like Mono just as much as the next guy, but it's still very much possible to use GTK without Mono. It's much more likely that they are using Qt for the technical advantages it has over GTK.

[MoonRise]

;)

[perspectoff]

Think about the concept of Unity.

To have both GTK and Qt applications available, you have to incorporate both platforms.

Unity will be able to have the best of both worlds, then.

In fact, it appears to me the goal is to allow an Ubuntu user choose whether to have a Unity, Gnome, or KDE UI.

This can only be facilitated if there is functionality for all platforms.

Frankly, I prefer KDE over Gnome and Unity, and would install a KDE desktop as my first order of business.

But my application choices currently are an even mix of GTK and Qt applications anyway, and for a long while I was installing Qt by hand (KDE did not always have Qt capability).

[GreyGeek]

.....
To have both GTK and Qt applications available, you have to incorporate both platforms.

Unity will be able to have the best of both worlds, then.

In fact, it appears to me the goal is to allow an Ubuntu user choose whether to have a Unity, Gnome, or KDE UI.

This can only be facilitated if there is functionality for all platforms.
.....


With a fresh install of Kubuntu you've always had GTK+ application capability even with KDE being the default desktop. Install a GTK+ app that required additional libraries (VLC, FF, TB, Cheese) and they'd get installed.

As I understand it, Unity is built using the Qt4 API but is neither Gnome nor KDE. It is it's own desktop. With the appropriate GTK+ and Qt4 libraries installed Unity can run apps from either desktop, but THE desktop, which controls access to those apps, is Unity. Unity controls its own memory footprint and, more importantly, with the LGPL license, Canonical can connect its own proprietary binaries without having to share the source code. PC OEMs will love that, and most PC users won't care. IF it works, is easy to use and comes preinstalled with lots of free software that other OS's never include, and it costs the PC OEM nothing per unit cost except to ghost an image into a production run of HDs, then everyone is happy. Except Microsoft.