CDE Finds a Comfortable Niche

By Larry Stevens

The Common Desktop Envi- ronment is good technology, observers agree, but it seems unlikely to achieve general use across the enterprise.

hen the Common Desktop Environment (CDE) was introduced in March 1993, as part of the Common WOpen Software Environment (COSE) sponsored by Unix system vendors, pro- ponents touted it as a serious challenger to the dominance of Windows as a desktop (GUI). Three years later, it is clear that this challenge never developed. With scaled-back expectations, today CDE ven- dors have recognized desktop niches where the technology is finding a home. The success of Microsoft Windows predecessor, the GUI) and CDE desktop at SunSoft in Mountain View, CA. and third-party products that enable Unix are obvious. It includes the scroll bars, Implicit in this statement is the hope systems to run Windows applications, window control and icon actions to which that, at least partly because of CDE, Unix either directly or in emulation mode, have Windows users are accustomed. Its front will attract new users, whom Hogg calls produced a de facto standard for the panel, similar to the Windows control “general users,” as opposed to the tech- desktop, which Unix vendors have tried panel, lets you organize and access appli- nical people who now occupy most Unix to challenge with official standards. For cations, files and network services. The . At the same time current years, through consortia such as X/Open application manager displays and controls Unix users, who often have to clutter their Co., they have been working to develop all applications through icons and a point- desks with a second computer—a Win- standards and specifications that might and-click interface. The file manager dis- dows PC used to access e-mail and pro- increase the portability of applications plays and controls files. The style man- ductivity software—will be able to com- written to Unix. ager lets you customize the overall look of bine CDE with products such as Wabi (a The most ambitious recent efforts are the desktop by selecting colors and back- SunSoft product that provides support for CDE and the Single UNIX Specification, grounds. Finally, it includes a Windows- about 25 Windows applications) to run better know by its previous name, UNIX like help manager, which uses context- Windows from their Unix systems. ’95. The latter (discussed in the sidebar sensitive hypertext. Although no one doubts CDE’s ability “A Giant Step Toward Standardization”) to improve the lives of Unix users, new or is a set of specifications that will make it Open Windows old, its success depends not so much on easier for independent software vendors Calling CDE a Windows look-alike is nei- its capabilities as on its level of accep- (ISVs) to create cross-platform versions ther an overstatement nor an insult. “It tance. The issue raises several key ques- of their products. In 1995 CDE became a should make the Unix environment com- tions. Will Windows users want to move stand-alone Unix standard certified by fortable to new users who formerly to Unix? Will Unix users want to replace X/Open. worked in Windows machines,” says War- their current interfaces with a Windows- Similarities between Windows (and its ren Hogg, product manager for the Solaris like one? And are there other Unix-based

38 UniForum’s ITSolutions APRIL 1996 GUIs which, while not accepted as stan- with. Add to that the fact that it’s frag- tunity to break open the Microsoft Win- dard, may be better suited in other ways mented. Where is the need for another dows market passed two to three years to Unix users? standard?” Vesper asks. ago.” In fact, Deutsch believes that CDE is David Pensak, principal consultant at If CDE will have difficulty gaining more a defensive attempt to stave off the chemical manufacturer Du Pont Co.’s acceptance in the technical market, will “hemorrhaging of users from Unix to advanced computing technology group it fare much better in the commercial one? Windows machines” than a serious attack in Wilmington, DE, reflects the actions of Philip Johnson, director of advanced oper- on Windows. many managers in taking a wait-and-see ating environments at International Data Still, within the market available to it, approach. He agrees that CDE can reduce Corp. in Mountain View, CA, believes the many expect CDE to play a role. “The training time and says that his company answer is no. “The technical market is market will take it seriously,” says John- has initiated a number of pilot CDE pro- somewhat open, and so CDE’s success son. “But it’ll be a gradual step process.” jects. Applications ranging from scientific there is possible at least to some extent, The technical support manager of a and technical to business are being devel- although the outcome is far from clear. retail company, who declined to be oped using CDE. He’s also comparing The commercial marketplace is locked up named, has a similar opinion on this. CDE technology, called TED, from TriTeal by Microsoft Windows,” he says. Howev- “Over 90 percent of our users are on Win- Corp. of Carlsbad, CA, with CDE bundled er, he adds that there are small niches in dows machines or Macs. CDE won’t have with IBM’s AIX 4.0. These projects and the commercial market, most notably bro- any effect on them,” he says. “The remain- evaluation efforts have not yet led to con- kerage firms, which combine technical ing 10 percent are working on various clusions. But in theory, Pensak says, if and business functions, that may be Unix workstations. CDE, if implemented CDE catches on, it will allow users to attracted to CDE. by vendors—and that’s a big if, can have move from one application to another, Waverly Deutsch, senior analyst at For- an important role in that part of our com- while carrying over their knowledge. “We rester Research in Cambridge, MA, agrees pany.” remain to be convinced that we need CDE that the best CDE boosters can hope for is for that purpose,” he adds. to take over a niche. “Unix holds about The Role of ISVs Pensak points that if all you’re looking three percent of Fortune 1000 desktops. Given that CDE’s mission is to create a for is a GUI, you don’t have to purchase That’s virtually the entire potential mar- bridge across Unix variants, its appeal to CDE to get it. Many areas of his corpora- ket for CDE,” she says. “You’re not going independent software vendors is a key tion have set up configuration files and to move people off their PCs. Any oppor- test of success. For example, the role of scripts to provide a graphical interface. “But CDE does make that easier,” he says. The technical community at Du Pont, which represents a major potential market for CDE, isn’t excited about it. “They’ll try [a technical application with a CDE inter- face], but only after I’ve done a lot of screaming and yelling,” Pensak says. Finding the Market Technical users often are comfortable with character-based interfaces or have devel- oped their own GUIs. Some of them are more vehement about their disinterest. “I don’t see any need whatsoever for CDE,” says Greg Vesper, technical manager at NASA in Greenbelt, MD. Vesper is quick to mention that this is his opinion and not NASA policy. And he admits, “There will probably be some people here who’ll use it.” But by and large, he expects the tech- nical community at NASA will find it has no need for another GUI. He points to older products like Sun’s Open Look and HP’s Vue (both CDE precursors) and home-brewed GUIs as sufficient. Addi- tionally, most people at NASA who need a windowed interface use Windows. “The market share for a GUI-based application The CDE desktop has features similar to those found in other popular GUIs. [in the technical market] is small to begin Source: TriTeal Corp.

APRIL 1996 UniForum’s ITSolutions 39 CDE Finds a Comfortable Niche

ISVs is important to Du Pont’s Pensak. The Single UNIX Specification “Our company has in-house projects, but A Giant Step Toward Standardization we’re anxious to see if commercially avail- able CDE-based packages show up on the nlike CDE, the Single UNIX Speci- warm, the Single UNIX Specification is market,” he says. So far, if ISVs are interested, most are fication (formerly UNIX ‘95) welcome in almost all quarters. “It’s in playing their cards close to their chests. doesn’t attempt to make all Unix everyone’s interest that this succeed,” says U None of the major Unix hardware com- desktops look alike. It does not even allow Philip Johnson of IDC. He says that, by panies, including Digital Equipment Corp., consolidating the base applications into an application written to one Unix plat- Hewlett-Packard and , form to run, without recompiling, on a a consistent implementation, vendors can could supply an ISV contact willing to be second platform. Both those attributes, better focus their resources on features interviewed for this article. Even the major available on Microsoft Windows, are still that distinguish their products. CDE supplier, TriTeal, was unable to pro- too ambitious for an industry made up of “It will become easier for application vide a name. vendors whose main concern is distin- developers to provide products that span One reason that ISVs may be dragging guishing themselves from each other. multiple platforms,” says Patrick Smyth, their feet is that many already have an The Single UNIX Specification is an director of marketing for the Unix busi- interface with which their users are happy. application development environment ness segment at Digital Equipment Corp. “We have a Windows interface, which we that provides a common foundation of in Maynard, MA. The result, he expects, worked hard to develop. We’re not about specifications. Software vendors who will be lower cost and faster availability to shift to CDE just because X/Open says of applications and new revisions. it’s good,” says Jim Lofink, director of mar- Of course, the benefit may not keting for Operations Control Systems, an What do users get out of the Single ISV of Unix scheduling software based in UNIX Specification brand? become apparent for a number of years. Palo Alto, CA. He says that 99 percent of According to Graham Bird, X/Open “We’ve already incorporated portability his customers use Windows machines director of branding, there are three into our product. This [standard] will only connected to Unix servers and are com- business reasons for purchasing such a become useful to us over the years as we product: fortable with that arrangement. Therefore, bring out new products and revs,” says OCS isn’t going to ask them to move to 1. The product is guaranteed to Jim Lofink of Operations Control Systems. a new interface. “Whatever Microsoft does, conform to the specs. One way that the Single UNIX Specifi- we follow,” Lofink says. cation will help people right now is in spec- Another problem daunting CDE is that, 2. Any revisions or updates will also ifying requirements when sending out although the common interface is good, meet the specs. requests for bids. “UNIX ‘95 is extremely many vendors have developed interfaces 3. If a customer complains that the important to our work,” says Greg Vesper of that are optimized for particular applica- specs aren't met in a particular NASA. “It greatly reduces the number of tions. While users don’t have the advan- product, X/Open will investigate the things we have to specify.” tage of commonality of interface, many charges. Still, the Single UNIX Specification are used to their systems and unwilling leaves a lot for the individual software ven- to give them up. “The ‘common’ in CDE can also be read as ‘lowest common choose to follow this specification will be dors to embellish, since it doesn’t address denominator.’ Many developers will want in a better position to create portable all system requirements. In some cases, to distinguish themselves by providing applications. vendors will find that if they stick to the what they consider to be a better inter- standard, they will be able to offer porta- The Single UNIX Specification is an face,” says Johnson of IDC. bility at the expense of performance. X/Open-branded product that resulted One example of a product that from cooperation among Hewlett-Packard, “Many applications will have to be fine- attempts to distinguish itself is Indigo IBM, Novell’s Unix Systems Group, the tuned to take advantage of the platforms Magic Desktop, a GUI from Silicon Graph- and SunSoft. It on which they will run,” says Smyth. “It’s ics. Like CDE, Indigo Magic Desktop replaces the current XPG4 specification reasonable to want to squeeze out the replaces Unix commands with point-and- and defines, among other things, termi- highest benchmark, but the more they click and drag-and-drop actions as well nal communications, network communi- do that, the harder it will be to port the as icons that represent networked com- cations and memory functions. application.” puters, files or peripherals. “Indigo Magic At press time, only DEC, HP and IBM The bottom line is encouraging. Says is proprietary, but it has features CDE have products branded with the spec, Smyth, “Over time, the customer will see hasn’t and has been around longer,” says although a number of others, including less and less difference among Unix oper- Deutsch of Forrester Research. Sun Microsystems, say they are close to ating systems. Vendors will be forced to For example, Indigo Magic Desktop offers network awareness (if, say, a print- achieving the brand. focus more on value added. That has to er goes down, its icon rumbles) and Unlike CDE, for which support is luke- be good for customers.” World Wide Web integration, which CDE doesn’t. These features are important to

40 UniForum’s ITSolutions APRIL 1996 Ken Grindall, MIS director at Tulip Graph- many different platforms. Most of the and provides access to applications, files ics, a digital multimedia and Web pub- major Unix hardware vendors are now and network services. Alternatively, from lishing company in San Francisco. “Indigo or shortly will be supplying CDE, either a Unix-based machine, Windows icons Magic Desktop is at this point ahead of bundled or as an option. Users also can can reside directly on the front panel. CDE,” he says. His company uses an Indi- buy it from TriTeal, whose TriTeal Enter- While it’s clear that the market for go machine as a Web server and another prise Desktop (TED) 4.0 is priced at products like TED or generic CDE is lim- as a graphics . $425. Currently, TED is available on the ited, it’s equally obvious that these prod- Grindall is not against having a com- Unix variants of Digital, HP, IBM, NCR, ucts represent a major advance in the mon Unix interface, but he does not see a Novell/SCO, Siemens Nixdorf and Sili- Unix user interface. For companies that driving necessity to standardize on one con Graphics and on a variety of X ter- need a common GUI, either to support particular product. “We’re moving quick- minals. Microsoft users moving to Unix platforms ly to the point where the interface isn’t While TED is 100 percent CDE, it or Unix users who yearn for the ease of much of an issue,” he says. While there offers a number of features that exceed use of a windowed environment, CDE are differences between Mac OS, Win- the standard, such as a series of applica- can save the day. “There’s enough good- dows, Indigo Magic Desktop and CDE, tions integrated into the desktop. TEDvi- ness in CDE to make it an important stan- all have a similar foundation that makes sion is an Internet browser for navigating dard. Within the admittedly narrow areas transfer of learning from one system to around the Web, Internet newsgroups or of the company which need a common another not much trouble, according to FTP sites. WinTED provides interoper- Unix GUI, CDE has a real chance of suc- Grindall. ability and concurrent sessions between cess,” says Johnson. IT Unix and Microsoft Windows environ- A Common Option ments. If you’re accessing the Unix sys- Larry Stevens writes about business and Despite the caveats above, CDE has the tem host through PC X software, WinTED technology from Monson, MA. He can be core benefit of being widely available on displays the TED front panel on the PC reached at [email protected].

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APRIL 1996 UniForum’s ITSolutions 41