GNUstep is a set of general-purpose Objective-C libraries based on the OpenStep standard developed by NeXT (now Apple) Inc. Changes include in NSWindow, DnD now works on the whole window, and events are propogated up to the first DnD aware view. Absolute paths and DnD work in OpenPanels.

The GNOME Development Release 2.5.1: "Hey, at least I'm housebroken", is ready for testing. It is available for immediate download on ftp.gnome.org and mirrors.

While it's no Indigo Espresso or a VAX Bar (though, of course, there is NetBSD/sgimips and NetBSD/vax), at least you can log in on a Mr. Coffee. And while the JavaStation has been running NetBSD for a while, full support is now completely in-tree:

KernelTrap posted an interview with William Lee Irwin III, aka 'wli', and a step-by-step guide to installing his performance improving -wli patchset.

This document focuses on the changes in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and its implications for developers. Examples and details are provided for several of the technologies that are experiencing the biggest changes. Future versions of this document will cover all new and changed technologies.

A small community of desktop "skinners" has sprung up around Unsanity's ShapeShifter, a utility for Mac OS X that allows the desktop interface to be customized in highly personal and sometimes strikingly beautiful ways. ShapeShifter, released earlier this month, is a $20 utility that can alter all the elements of the Mac OS X interface, including menus, windows, buttons and boxes.

When you can write nearly perfect versions of PacMan and Space Invaders in your favorite productivity application, you know it's crossed the boundary. Of course, treating cells like pixels and implementing the game by changing the background colors probably wasn't what the Excel developers had in mind, but frankly, that's not much different than what the guys writing the original games had to deal with.

The Zero Install system removes the need to install software or libraries by running all programs from a network filesystem. The filesystem in question is the Internet as a whole, with an aggressive caching system to make it as fast as (or faster than) traditional systems such as Debian's APT repository, and to allow for offline use. It doesn't require any central authority to maintain it, and allows users to run software without needing a root password. In this editorial, we will see how software is accessed via Zero Install and how we can distribute our own programs through it.

The Pro App Runtime update for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther provides improvements for Apple's professional applications, and is strongly recommended for all users of Final Cut Pro, Cinema Tools, Compressor, LiveType, Soundtrack, and DVD Studio Pro. This update improves general user interface appearance and reliability and is required to receive future updates for these applications. It is available via the Software Update utility.

"One persistent misfeature of open source development is thoughtless mimicry, copying the behaviors of other projects without considering if they work or if there are better options under the current circumstances. At best, these practices are conventional wisdom, things that everybody believes even if nobody really remembers why. At worst, they're lies we tell ourselves." Read the rest at OnLamp.com.

The new version of Internet Explorer in Longhorn 4051 is version 6.05.4051.0.  Even though Longhorn is many years away (if ever!) the folks at Microsoft have realized that people want more from their browser, due to popularity of the competition, ex. Mozilla. UPDATE: Longhorn 4051 review.

Here's a review of Sun Solaris 9, x86 edition. It's no competition for GNU/Linux or FreeBSD on the desktop, but Solaris on x86 could make low-end IA32-based workstations available to people who previously needed to buy a SPARC machine to use Solaris software, says the author.

Microsoft watchers have two interesting stories to follow this week. First is the new Intellectual Property (IP) licensing scheme. The second is a feverish round speculation (just a rumor) that Microsoft will buy AMD. Both tie into an older story about plans for the next generation Xbox.

"Slackware Linux is not your ordinary Linux distribution. For starters, it rarely figures in news headlines, preferring to keep a low profile instead. Its developers have stubbornly resisted any attempts to make their users' lives easier: the distribution provides no graphical configuration utilities, it's package management does not resolve dependencies and its simple, text-mode installer has undergone very few changes in years. Yet, Slackare Linux remains one of the top 5 Linux distributions in use today. What is the reason for its tight hold on many users?" Read the article at DistroWatch.