[CLUE-Tech] Linux for publishing and the masses

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Fri, 2003-06-13 at 15:35, Jed S. Baer wrote:
> On 13 Jun 2003 07:16:45 -0600
> "Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier" <jzb at dissociatedpress.net> wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, 2003-06-13 at 06:58, Jed S. Baer wrote:
> > 
> > *snip*
> > 
> > > I'm certainly no expert, and I haven't spent much time with it, but
> > > I've tried Sodipodi, and found it wanting. As perhaps a commentary on
> > > the general state of Linux SVG programs, note that files such as
> > > /usr/share/gdm/themes/happygnome/background.svg were created in Adobe
> > > Illustrator. Since SVG is an XML format, you can open these files in a
> > > text editor, and note the MS-DOS line-end style as well. I attempted
> > > to manipulate that file in Sodipodi. I was not successful. But will
> > > point out that graphics programs generally have steeper learning
> > > curves, so my experience is perhaps not informative. But I found
> > > Sodipodi frustrating.
> >
> > Is the MS-DOS thing from the Illustrator files, or Sodipodi? 
> 
> It's in the original files. I sorta feel a Stallmanesque rant might be
> justified. I don't see the need to need to include files created with a
> non-OSI licensed tool, especially if there aren't any OS tools which can
> edit it. Was there some reason why Gnome couldn't have used a JPEG, XPM,
> PNG, or whatever? I mean, it just feels wierd -- if you're developing
> stuff for the open-source community, why use a non-free graphics program?

... *scratches head* Why the Hell did they do that???

That kind of frosts my cookies. Is that package directly from GNOME? I
wonder if many folks in the GNOME project are aware that they're
distributing something created in Illustrator. RMS would have kittens. 

> > What about creating graphics from scratch? 
> 
> Still painful. The difference between it's bezier curve tool and The
> Gimp's is just enough to be annoying. I'd sure like to have a copy of
> Corel Draw to compare it to.
> 
> I found it simple to create simple shapes using Sodipodi. But then
> manipulating them afterwards was just strange. I was able, for instance,
> to set some sort of flag in the properties for an object, which made it
> impossible to edit it, and there wasn't any way to reset that flag.

Hmm... doesn't sound like it's quite ready for prime time just yet...

> > Sodipodi is a relatively young program... I think it's at version 0.31,
> > so it still has some maturing to do... Looks more promising than the
> > other Illustrator-type apps that I've seen, though. If it gets the same
> > kind of developer attention that the Gimp had, it could be pretty
> > formidible in a short time... I hope, anyway. I'm tired of saying "Linux
> > can do all this...but it can't do this..." An Illustrator and
> > PageMaker/QuarkXPress substitute would do a LOT for Linux. 
> 
> Well, I will say that it was better than either Sketch or Killustrator (or
> whatever the KDE SVG proggie is).

Well, maybe it'll be usable in a year or so... I just wish there was a
QuarkXPress-type app for Linux. 

Zonker
-- 
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier
jzb at dissociatedpress.net
Aim: zonkerjoe
http://www.dissociatedpress.net