[fsw]

> PLEASE NOTE: On 2022-02-14, we decided to abandon the current path of using X11/KDE desktop components and write from scratch a new UI that will align better with our goals. A very early UI on the new WindowServer is starting to take shape as of 2022-07-27. Thanks for your patience as we work to make ravynOS the best possible version.

[still_grokking]

Oh, the good old "rewrite the world" approach.

Good luck to the developers!

[adastra22]

This is one instance where that approach probably pays dividends, if they can pull it off. Most macOS-like clones that I've tried fall short, due to there being only so much you can do to paper-over the Linux desktop experience. A sort of uncanny valley that I just can't get over and adjust to using.

[squarefoot]

> Oh, the good old "rewrite the world" approach. Good luck to the developers!

Yes, they definitely need some good luck, but sometimes rewriting the world is necessary to one day invent something new, or just eliminate architectural issues that are too entrenched in the old code to be easily circumvented without adding bloat and/or bugs. The price to pay is lagging behind the competition, with a potential bigger payoff only later, for those who persist. I see roughly a similar approach with the PinePhone: they probably went like "the heck with reverse engineering other phones, we make our own one from scratch!"; the result as of today is a ~90% working slow phone that very few among non tech users would want, but we see the much bigger potential if and when they'll reach hardware performance at least comparable to known brands. It takes courage, perseverance, and luck.

[f1shy]

I will never understand the people think you can never do a fresh start (in software, but not limited to it). Many very successful projects started as a green field. Sometimes I would even go so far as saying they would have failed if the had tried to build onto the existing code base. Also important to note: there is no "start from 0" most likely the work will be based on existing work, the ideas, code, or parts, modules, graphics can be reused. I see everyday in my job how this kind of thinking leads to code with parts that are over 20 years old, and are not changed because of fear that something could break.

[whywhywhywhy]

If your goal is to replicate the UI quality of MacOS, then just reskinning the work of others will only result in inconsistent jank.

[drums8787]

Sure, a certain amount of good luck is always required.

I've been involved in two rewrites during the past 5 years. While the rewrites were not by choice (one was forced by Flash EOL), in both cases there were multiple, very obvious (after the fact) benefits:

- Better, modern technology top to bottom

- Better dev process, facilitated by the better technology

- An excuse to focus functionally, and rethink. We couldn't possibly reproduce a heap of legacy features and were forced to focus on what mattered, and managed to offer those key features in a far superior way.

Done right, a rewrite can be fantastic. And sure, rewrites often happen for the wrong reasons and at the wrong time.