Metisse : An X-based window system

Metisse is an X-based window system designed with two goals in mind. First, it should make it easy for HCI researchers to design and implement innovative window management techniques Second, it should conform to existing standards and be robust and efficient enough to be used on a daily basis, making it a suitable platform for the evaluation of the proposed techniques.

Metisse is not focused on a particular kind of interaction (e.g. 3D) and should not be seen as a new desktop proposal. It is rather a tool for creating new types of desktop environments.

Metisse was used, for example, to implement the User Interface Façades system, a system that allows to adapt, reconfigure, and re-combine existing graphical interfaces through direct manipulation techniques. It was used by Mekensleep to integrate GTK+ interfaces into the OpenGL-based Pok3D game. It is also being integrated into Mandriva Linux Spring 2007, the forthcoming version of Mandriva Linux.

Beryl : An OpenGL accelerated desktop

Beryl is an OpenGL accelerated desktop that seeks to provide a free, open source desktop experience to the community that reflects the wishes of the users. Above all else, the project seeks to listen to and respond to the requests of the user base.

Beryl is a combined window manager and composite manager written in C using OpenGL to provide acceleration. It is designed to be highly flexible, extensible, and portable, all the while keeping in mind that the users know how they want their desktops to act better than we do. With Beryl the rather esoteric concept of the computer desktop is brought down to a more human level, allowing for a more native and intuitive understanding of your workspace. To learn more about Beryl and its features visit our Feature Spotlight.

VS. Metisse