Talk:Tango Desktop Project

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"It [tango] is working on a common set of visual metaphors that are internationally acceptable. There is an ongoing effort for supporting these visual metaphors and specifications in different desktops, and by different iconsets and themes, such as KDE's oxygen iconset."

Do the oxygen icons aim to support the Tango visual metaphors ? If not it may not be worth mentioning the oxygen icons here, rather in an article about the freedesktop specifications, unless they also aim to be cross desktop, and not only for KDE.

84.103.158.105 23:15, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

Oxygen will probably not follow the visual metaphors, so the text is not correct. I will try to fix it. But please note that if a theme follows the standard naming specification [1], and the icon theme specification, [2], it is cross desktop. The standard naming specification is something KDE and GNOME already accepted, even if the Tango guys are the ones currently working on it. The Oxygen icon theme will follow these specifications, and therefore, you will be able to use them in GNOME if you wish, just like tango. The current tools for adapting the icons to KDE or GNOME desktops exist for compatibility reasons. KDE 4 will be able to adopt the standard naming specification natively. -- Carloswoelz 18:08, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is tango?

There are two parts of the tango-project: one, improve the icon name specification and the icon theme specs. This is non controversial, but hardly a part of the "tango-project": these are separate freedesktop standards, and discussions about these specs are made on the mailing list xdg at fredesktop.org. The other part, which is exclusive to Tango, is the visual project, which aims to be the default look and hig for linux: (from the Tango web page):

"Eventually, the Tango Desktop initiative aims to provide:

1. A specified default native look.
2. A subsystem to help standardize toolkits on a common look and feel.
3. A complete, standard set of application, mimetype, and stock icons to build upon a style guide.
4. Cross-desktop humane interface guidelines."

So they do aim to be the standard linux look and hig. But to be the standartd, they have to reach for all participants, and KDE developers were not consulted, and don't accept Tango as their default look (they have chosen to go with something else). This is relevant information, and should be included in the article. At least, point out that Tango has not been accepted as the default theme for the main free desktops, KDE and GNOME. They are not the standard because they say they are, but because people accept the iconset and look. And that has yet to happen. -- Carloswoelz 18:08, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

As of around October 2006, GNOME adopted a Tango-based icon style. — JeremyTalk 10:58, 12 February 2007 (UTC)