Matchbox 1.0 review

Matchbox provides a lightweight, flexible base user environment for X11 applications on non-desktop embedded platforms. Matchbox i

License: GPL (GNU General Public License) File size: 240K Developer: Matthew Allum

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Matchbox provides a lightweight, flexible base user environment for X11 applications on non-desktop embedded platforms.

Matchbox is an Open Source base environment for the X Window System running on non-desktop embedded platforms such as handhelds, set-top boxes, kiosks and anything else for which screen space, input mechanisms or system resources are limited.

Matchbox consists of a number of interchangable and optional applications that can be tailored to a specific non desktop platform to enhance usability in a 'constrained' enviroment.

The core and most developed application is a window manager with a classic stack based PDA like management policy. It supports modern window management standards, cutting edge X capabilities, advanced themeing and various window types.

Other Matchbox applications include a panel ( with many example 'applets' ), a PDA style desktop launcher, a shared utility library, software input mechanisms and more.
All matchbox applications are designed to be fast, light and flexible. They are not tied no any GUI toolkit with all dependencies being controllable at build time.

Matchbox includes a PDA-style "stacking" Window Manager, a panel and applets, a PDA "desktop" launcher, and more.

Who uses Matchbox?

Matchbox is used to form a base for various handheld user interface enviroments such as 'Maemo' used on the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet and GPE - a popular Open Source GTK based Palmtop Environment.

Usage extends beyond handhelds to other non desktop devices including industrial tools like the Drewtech ScanDAQ, Web Kiosks and set-top boxes.

You'll find Matchbox available in embedded distributions such as OpenEmbedded and Familiar and more general purpose Linux distributions such as Debian.

What's New in This Release:
This release adds improvements to themeing, a maemo-related tweak, and various other minor enhancements throughout.