Digital Research's GEM opens a new window on Linux
A radical new way to resolve the Gordian knot of X11 versus Wayland
Digital Research's GEM graphical environment, initially developed for PC compatibles, has been resurrected on Linux through a creative port by Slovenian developer Tomaž Štih. GEM for Linux, derived from OpenGEM and FreeGEM, is now secure, optimized, and source-compatible with Atari ST GEM. The software shares a display server that outputs directly through Linux's framebuffer or displays the desktop in a window using Štih's SDL2-based Rasta framebuffer emulator.
Originally bundled with the Amstrad PC1512 and PC1640, GEM was a first successful GUI for MS-DOS PC compatibles. However, in 1985, Apple threatened legal action against Digital Research for GEM's similarity to the Macintosh interface, leading to modifications in the PC version. The FreeGEM community has enhanced the software since 1999, restoring removed features and adding new ones.
This is the second modern FOSS implementation of Atari GEM, following the EmuTOS project. While GEM won't replace Wayland or usher in a new era of Atari-inspired Linux development, it demonstrates the potential for further development of DR's multitasking ambitions.
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