OpenBSD Journal

Classic CDE (Common Desktop Environment) coming to OpenBSD

Contributed by Peter N. M. Hansteen on from the classic come-on dept.

Much longed for by some, remembered as a quaint memory by other greybeards, the classic Common Desktop Environment (CDE) is being added to the ports collection.

The initial commit message reads,

List:       openbsd-ports-cvs
Subject:    CVS: cvs.openbsd.org: ports
From:       Antoine Jacoutot <ajacoutot () cvs ! openbsd ! org>
Date:       2025-07-28 12:35:38

CVSROOT:	/cvs
Module name:	ports
Changes by:	ajacoutot@cvs.openbsd.org	2025/07/28 06:35:38

Log message:
    Import cde-2.5.2
    
    CDE - The Common Desktop Environment is X Windows desktop environment that was
    commonly used on commercial UNIX variants such as Sun Solaris, HP-UX and IBM
    AIX. Developed between 1993 and 1999, it has now been released under an Open
    Source licence by The Open Group.
    => this is not hooked to the build yet as it still needs some fixes and
    improvements.
    tweak and ok sthen@
    
    Status:
    
    Vendor Tag:	ajacoutot
    Release Tags:	ajacoutot_20250728
    
    N ports/x11/cde/distinfo
    N ports/x11/cde/Makefile
    N ports/x11/cde/pkg/DESCR
    N ports/x11/cde/pkg/PLIST
    N ports/x11/cde/pkg/README
    N ports/x11/cde/patches/patch-programs_dtksh_ksh93_src_lib_libast_features_wchar
    N ports/x11/cde/patches/patch-doc_Makefile_am
    N ports/x11/cde/patches/patch-lib_DtMmdb_btree_berkeley_memmove_c
    N ports/x11/cde/patches/patch-programs_dtcm_libDtCmP_util_h
    N ports/x11/cde/patches/patch-programs_dtmail_include_DtMail_DtMailTypes_h
    
    No conflicts created by this import

It is worth noting that this is not linked to the build yet, so will likely not be immediately available as a package. But you are of course free to build the port locally and take in the classic Unix desktop experience.

Also worth noting is ajacoutot@'s warning:

[…]
I wouldn't use is as a daily driver, it's old unsecure code but it's fun if you
want to bring back memories.
[…]

The Editors look forward to seeing this properly available as a package in a future snapshot.


Comments
  1. By Emiel Kollof (ekollof) emiel@kollof.nl on andrath.nl

    Don't bother just yet, it doesn't even build. Tested on 7-current (snap as of today)

    Comments
    1. By pegasus (pegasus) pegasus@nerv.eu.org on

      I played with it a couple of years ago on linux, it's also surprisingly buggy for such an old and supposedly well tested code. Pity ...

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