Gnome gives Linux a GUI

A Mexican developer is rallying Linux users worldwide into making the open source operating system (OS) more user-friendly.

Miguel de Icaza is currently leading the project for the software tool, dubbed Gnome, which uses icons and graphics to enable users to open software programs.

Icaza said that as the software is free, users will not have to pay for continual upgrades, unlike users of Microsoft Windows. Instead, the project makes money through technical support.

Icaza claimed Gnome is just as good as Windows. But he said he is not out to topple Microsoft from the pinnacle of the OS market. Instead, he said he just wants to provide free software for "serious computer operators".

But Linux dealer, Grant Crawley, was not convinced. "It's got a lot of work to be done on it before it is up to being a top-level Windows manager. My customers want whatever is the best one out there at that moment, and there are a lot of them out there. They want stability, and it will be a long time before they get it from Gnome. It also needs work on the way it integrates," he said.