ROX Desktop

{{Infobox software

|name = ROX Desktop

|logo = Rox_logo.png

|screenshot = rox-desktop-2004.png

|caption = A screenshot of the ROX desktop

|developer =

|latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1417071|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

|latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1417071|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

|latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1417071|P348|P548=Q51930650}}

|latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1417071|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}

|operating_system = Unix-like

|programming language = C, Python, GTK

|discontinued = yes

|genre = Desktop environment

|license = GNU General Public License

|repo = {{url|https://github.com/rox-desktop/}}

|website = {{url|http://rox.sourceforge.net/desktop/}}

}}

File:AntiX 21 Runit with ROX Desktop 2.11.png

The ROX Desktop is a discontinued{{Cite web |last=Kenlon |first=Seth |date=December 16, 2019 |title=Relive Linux history with the ROX desktop {{!}} Opensource.com |url=https://opensource.com/article/19/12/linux-rox-desktop |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=opensource.com |language=en}} graphical desktop environment for the X Window System. It is based on the ROX-Filer, a drag and drop spatial file manager. It is free software released under the GPL-2.0-or-later. The environment was inspired by the user interface of RISC OS (not to be confused with RISC/os).{{cite web|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact2002.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120053710/http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact2002.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 November 2007|title=ROX founder: Why I brought RISC OS to Unix}} The name "ROX" is derived from "RISC OS on X Window System". Programs can be installed or removed easily using Zero Install, a decentralized software installation system.

The project was started by Thomas Leonard as a student at the University of Southampton in 1999{{cite news | url=http://audio22.archive.org/details/Acorn_User_Issue_214_1999-12_IDG_Media_GB | title=RISC O-X? | work=Acorn User | date=December 1999 | access-date=16 August 2013 | issue=214 | pages=10}}{{cite web|url=http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.sys.acorn.misc/msg/bdb27a8da23af4e6|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710040544/http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.sys.acorn.misc/msg/bdb27a8da23af4e6|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 July 2012|title=comp.sys.acorn.misc – Re: ROX desktop}} and was still led by him in 2012.

Software components

The ROX Desktop is a desktop environment based on the ROX-Filer file manager. Files are loaded by applications using drag and drop from the filer to the application, and saved by dragging back to the filer. Applications are executable directories, and thus can be installed (copied), uninstalled (deleted), and run directly through the filer interface. ROX has a strong link with Zero Install, a system for identifying and executing programs via a URL, which aims to make software installation automatic.

The desktop uses the GTK toolkit, similar to the GNOME and Xfce desktops. The design focuses on small, simple programs that use drag-and-drop to move data between them. For example, a user might load data from a compressed file from the web into a spreadsheet by dragging the file from the web browser to the archiver, and then from the archiver into the spreadsheet. A program could be installed similarly, by dragging the archive from the web to the archiver, and then from the archiver to the applications directory in the filer.

Drag-and-drop saving allows a user to save a file to any directory, or directly to another application, such as an archiver on the panel.

ROX Filer

{{Infobox software

| name = ROX-Filer

| logo =

| screenshot = ROX-Filer.png

| caption = Screenshot of ROX-Filer

| author=Thomas Leonard

| developer =

| released =

| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2466393|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2466393|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2466393|P348|P548=Q51930650}}

| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2466393|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}

| programming language =

| operating system = Unix-like

| platform =

| language =

| status =

| genre = File manager

| license = GPL-2.0-or-later

| website = {{URL|http://rox.sourceforge.net/desktop/ROX-Filer.html}}

}}

ROX-Filer is a graphical spatial file manager for the X Window System. It can be used standalone or as part of the ROX Desktop. It is the default file manager in certain Linux distributions such as Puppy Linux and Dyne:bolic, and was used in Xubuntu until Thunar became stable.

ROX-Filer is built using the GTK+ toolkit. Available under the terms of the GPL-2.0-or-later, ROX-Filer is free software.{{ cite web | title = COPYING | url = http://rox.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/rox/releases/ROX-Filer-2.6.1/ROX-Filer/Help/COPYING?view=markup | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120723151509/http://rox.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/rox/releases/ROX-Filer-2.6.1/ROX-Filer/Help/COPYING?view=markup | url-status = dead | archive-date = 23 July 2012 }}

Zero Install

{{Infobox software

| name = Zero Install

| logo =

| screenshot = Zero Install.png

| screenshot size = 275px

| caption = Zero Install ready to run a downloaded program

| developer = Thomas Leonard

| latest release version = 2.17{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/0install/0install/releases|title=Releases · 0install/0install|website=GitHub}}

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2020|05|04}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| qid = Q191937

| programming language = OCaml

| operating_system = Linux, Unix, macOS, Windows

| genre = Package manager

| license = LGPLv2.1

| website = {{URL|https://0install.net}}

}}Zero Install (or 0install) is a multi-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS) system for running applications, enabling decentralized publishing (without using a traditional central repositories, directly from project websites).{{Cite web |last=Khurshid |first=Usman |date=2013-09-12 |title=Run Windows Programs Without Having to Install Them |url=https://www.maketecheasier.com/run-windows-programs-without-installation/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Make Tech Easier |language=en-US}} Unlike simple xcopy deployment{{Original research inline|date=June 2024}}, Zero Install retains the advantages of repositories, such as shared libraries, automatic updates, and validation of digital signatures.{{sfn|Eicher|2011|p=8}}

Zero Install uses metadata (sometimes called the feed format) written in XML. Similar to xcopy deployment,{{Original research inline|date=June 2024}} each application gets its own directory, and there are no side effects on the OS. This eliminates the need for administrative rights, and different versions of the same application can be run side-by-side without special modifications.{{sfn|Eicher|2011|p=8}}

To run an application, the user uses a launcher in ROX-Filer. This launcher instructs the system to run the application specified by a URL within the launcher's script. The first time it is launched, the system uses the URL to download the program and save it. On subsequent launches, the system does not download it again. This mechanism is referred to as 'Zero Install' because the launcher aims to run the program directly rather than performing a traditional installation process.{{Cite web |date=2007-11-20 |title=Zero Install and AddApp {{!}} ROX Desktop |url=http://roscidus.com/desktop/node/219 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120061429/http://roscidus.com/desktop/node/219 |archive-date=2007-11-20 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=ROX Desktop}}<{{Non-primary source needed|date=June 2024}}

References

Sources

{{cite thesis |last1=Eicher |first1=Bastian |title=Desktop Integration Management for Portable, Zero-Install and Virtualized Applications |date=2011 |publisher=Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |department=Department of Computer Science |degree=BS |url=https://os.itec.kit.edu/downloads/ba_2011_eicher-bastian_desktop-integration-management.pdf}}

Notes

Bruce Byfield (7 February 2007) [http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/59961 ROX Desktop provides light, quirky alternative to GNOME and KDE]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Linux.com
{{in lang|de}} Jo Moskalewski (July 2002) ' [http://www.linux-community.de/Internal/Artikel/Print-Artikel/LinuxUser/2002/07/Jo-s-alternativer-Desktop-ROX RISC rocks. Jo´s alternativer Desktop: ROX] LinuxUser