R devel - Oct 2012 - R 2.15.2 still missing two files useful with the X11 icon patch

Congrats on getting 2.15.2 out on schedule. Debian builds have been uploaded.

It is my understanding that Phil's patch for the X11 logo -- so promimently
featured as the first item in the NEWS file for the release -- offers more
when two extra files are supplied.  I have supplied these for the Debian test
release, for our 2.15.1-* releases and again now.  We install these files as

	 /usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/rlogo_icon.png
	 /usr/share/applications/R.desktop

and I would urge R Core to do the same so that users of other binaries get
the same benefit.  I have in fact mailed twice already before about this.  As
I understand, with the 'desktop' files and the png it references, menus
showing R as an entry get more meta info, and a crisper (png) logo.

Now, the NEWS file entry is also half-incorrect. The benefit of the patch is
visible in Ubuntu, nomatter which desktop env you use, but not limited to
it. Even under Windows 7, the taskbar now supplies the R icon when the
patched Debian / Ubuntu build is used --- but not with an rpm build of 2.15.1
where the generic x11 icon is shown.  Having R windows visually identified as
such is very useful, no matter the Linux or X11 flavour. And that is what
Phil's patch does this: adds the feature no matter the X11 GUI or desktop
environment.

Dirk


-- 
Dirk Eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org | http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com

Glad to see this as well.

Two notes on Dirk's comments:

   1) As Dirk wrote, the changes in 2.15.2 apply to almost any X11 
system (although, as the NEWS says, this change is particularly crucial 
with Ubuntu's new Unity interface).

   2) The additional two files mentioned by Dirk are only useful on 
systems complying with the freedesktop.org standards (i.e., at least 
gnome and kde).  With Unity, these files result in a crisper icon in the 
Unity launcher.

To summarize: the change in R 2.15.2 helps any X11 system.  The 
additional two files not yet in mainline R help only 
freedesktop.org-compliant systems -- although I can't imagine how they 
would hurt any other system.

Thanks for incorporating at least the first patch into main line 
development!

Regards,
Philip


On 10/26/2012 10:07 AM, Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote:
>
> Congrats on getting 2.15.2 out on schedule. Debian builds have been
uploaded.
>
> It is my understanding that Phil's patch for the X11 logo -- so
promimently
> featured as the first item in the NEWS file for the release -- offers more
> when two extra files are supplied.  I have supplied these for the Debian
test
> release, for our 2.15.1-* releases and again now.  We install these files
as
>
> 	 /usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/rlogo_icon.png
> 	 /usr/share/applications/R.desktop
>
> and I would urge R Core to do the same so that users of other binaries get
> the same benefit.  I have in fact mailed twice already before about this. 
As
> I understand, with the 'desktop' files and the png it references,
menus
> showing R as an entry get more meta info, and a crisper (png) logo.
>
> Now, the NEWS file entry is also half-incorrect. The benefit of the patch
is
> visible in Ubuntu, nomatter which desktop env you use, but not limited to
> it. Even under Windows 7, the taskbar now supplies the R icon when the
> patched Debian / Ubuntu build is used --- but not with an rpm build of
2.15.1
> where the generic x11 icon is shown.  Having R windows visually identified
as
> such is very useful, no matter the Linux or X11 flavour. And that is what
> Phil's patch does this: adds the feature no matter the X11 GUI or
desktop
> environment.
>
> Dirk
>
>