Heath Rezabek sent me this information on a new forum to discuss the blossoming territory of GUI development for Darwin.

'Galapagos' is a forum and a project related to graphical user interface design and Darwin, an Open Source OS from Apple Computer. Now that a way has been found to use the X11 environment on top of Darwin, it is only a matter of time until customized and refined interface elements can be created for Darwin and maintained as an Open Source creative project under the Apple Public Source License.

Early work and discussion on Darwin may relate to general philosophy of interface design, the importance of offering the user flexibility while maintaining consistency of user experience, and the creation of mock-up and prototype GUI elements for eventual use in a Darwin interface. These prototypes will be readily modifiable by forum members and any others who wish to work with them as APSL-licensed works [ie conversion into Kaleidoscope schemes, conversion into other *nix windowmanager themes as an approach to a Darwin GUI from the other direction, etc]. Finally, Galapagos will serve as a way to refer one-another to GUI-related resources, to other Darwin projects related to user issues, and as a means for Darwin and GUI enthusiasts and hobbyists to find one-another.

The project and forum name, 'Galapagos,' relates to the islands which Darwin studied in his seminal years, and their evolving inhabitants; it suggests the idea of an environment for Darwin and in which Darwin can grow and evolve.

To join in, simply visit:

... you can read and even contribute messages through the [messages] link, and you can join and customize your subscription through the [members] link.