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Linux Mint looks to fork more GNOME Apps because of libAdwaita
(blog.linuxmint.com)
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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They are not pioneers, they are Microsoft funded group (at the beginning, at least) with task to slow down desktop Linux adoption. KDE, even then, was better than MS Windows. Before you downvote me, check the guy named Miguel De Icaza
In the beginning in 1997 GNOME was a direct response to KDE using Qt toolkit with a license that GNU with RMS did not like at all. Not sure why you mention Microsoft and funded ? When I search for it I see that M$ gave 10K to GNOME in 2022, more than two decades later.
I was there back then, saw what MS did to BeOS and other competition. GNOME is slowing desktop Linux down all this time... People shold wake up already...
So was I never saw MS involved. Gnome and GTK was in response to QT.
It is entirely possible to do something in secrecy, you know? Read Muigel's bio, especially last part where he spits on his creation.