Editing LiteStep (section)

==History==
LiteStep was inspired by [[AfterStep]], which in turn was inspired by [[NeXTSTEP]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.lsdev.org/doku.php?id=history|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420200138/http://www.lsdev.org/doku.php?id=history|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 20, 2012|title=LiteStep Development}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://afterstep.org/|title=AfterStep}}</ref> LiteStep was initially developed by Francis Gastellu as a [[proprietary software|closed-source]] project until April 1998 (version b23), and was then entirely rewritten (versions 24 and up). LiteStep later inspired DarkStep,<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.10/skins_pr.html|title=DarkStep Inspiration |magazine=Wired}}</ref> which supports scripting, and PureLS. LiteStep also inspired Phil Stopford in 1999 to start LDE(X),<ref>{{citation|url=http://ldex.terica.net/ |title=LDE(X) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050128132206/http://ldex.terica.net/ |archivedate=2005-01-28 }}</ref> which was a complete and production-stable LiteStep-based [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] interface replacement. LiteStep is one of the oldest remaining Windows shell replacements. [[File:Ubuntu litestep theme.PNG|thumb|right|LiteStep skinned to look like [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]].]]
Over time, and due to the rise of popularity in freeform [[skin (computing)|skinning]], LiteStep desktop designs have tended to drift away from the [[AfterStep]] layouts seen under pre-0.24 versions, and LiteStep theming has become an art form in itself, being referred to as an "OS equivalent of an expandable Leatherman multi-tool".<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.10/skins_pr.html|title=GUIs Just Want to Have Fun |magazine=Wired}}</ref>